Alternate You
by LittleRed314
Summary: *THIS IS A RE-WRITE OF MY ORIGINAL VERSION OF THIS STORY. When Bill reveals to Ginny that there is "another world" out there and Ginny get's caught up with it, will she be brave enough to handle its dangers on her own? Or will she need the help of alternate characters of the people she knows? And will she be able to keep it all a secret from everyone else? A/U
1. AN: Character List

**First and foremost, the disclaimer... I do not own Harry Potter or anything really. But the idea is mine!**

* * *

 **This is just a character list, and the actual story starts on the next chapter!**

 **I'll be updating this list as I introduce more characters in the story. Feel free to refer back to this if you get confused!**

 **NOTE: The characters' Alternate Universe names all start with the first letter of their real name (with the exception of Regina- but her nickname is Gina).**

Characters in Alternate Universe:

Princess Regina/'Gina' … Ginny Weasley

Haydn … Harry Potter

Prince Rylan … Ron Weasley

Malia … Molly Weasley

King Aidan … Arthur Weasley

Holly … Hermione Granger

Prince Darien … Draco Malfoy

Queen Lila … Lilly Potter

Nate … Neville Longbottom

Cade … Colin Creevey

Dominic … Dennis Creevey

Princess Lacey … Lavender Brown

Dimitri … Dean Thomas

King Lothar … Lucius Malfoy

Samuel ... Seamus Finnigan

 **If you have any questions, feel free to PM me anytime!**

 **-Megan**


	2. A Most Unusual Birthday

**Like I have previously mentioned. This is a re-write of the story that I started a couple years ago. The idea was good, but I wasn't happy with the way it was written. Therefore, I am simply re-writing it! Please enjoy.**

Ch. 1

 _"The stars look like they're dancing!"_

 _Ginny jumped onto her big brother's lap excitedly. Bill chuckled at the youngest member of his family as he pulled the blanket over the two of them._

 _"You're getting too big for that, Gin. You're almost five!"_

 _"But you'll always be big enough," she smiled with a goofy grin. Ginny loved spending time with her oldest brother. He was always her protector when her other brothers played jokes on or teased her. Ginny twisted around to cling to Bill._

 _"What's that for Buttercup?"_

 _Buttercup was Bill's nickname for her. Through all the times he'd experienced a new sibling in the family, he had always wanted a little sister to take care of. Each time his mother would announce her pregnancy, the first question that came out of his mouth would be, "Is it a girl this time?" When he finally got his wish, Bill spent all of his time with her, and picked the buttercup flowers from just before the forest behind their backyard to give her as a gift._

 _"I don't want you to go back to Hogwarts," Ginny said firmly in a manner resembling her mother._

 _"But then where will I learn magic?"_

 _Ginny thought about that for a moment. "Well can't I go with you?"_

 _"Ginny, you know as much as I would love to, I can't take you."_

 _"But what if I scrunched up really small and hid in your trunk? I could take a sandwich so I won't be hungry. And I'll make sure to use the loo before we leave-"_

 _Bill laughed at her well thought out strategy._

 _"What?" Ginny crossed her arms. "I'm serious, Bill!"_

 _"I'm sorry Ginny, but Mum is too bright to be fooled by that… again."_

 _"I was hoping she would have forgotten by then…"_

 _"Buttercup, you'll get your chance soon enough," Bill pressed his lips to Ginny's head. "Just be patient."_

 _"I'll try."_

 _A rather large feather, not like any Ginny had seen before, was carried to the two of them by the breeze. Bill slightly frowned and lifted her from his lap to the soft grass beside him._

 _"Take the blanket inside for Mum, will you?" He started to get up._

 _"What?" Ginny asked, confused and a little hurt that he was cutting their time short._

 _"I'm sorry," he gave her a genuinely concerned look. "Please just tell Mum I'll be back soon."_

 _"Where are you going? I want to come too!"_

 _"No," he said a little too firmly. He immediately put a hand to his head and sighed. "I'm sorry Ginny, this is my problem."_

 _"But, Bill-"_

 _"Maybe one day you'll know, but I can't risk it yet. Now go inside, I don't want you out here alone."_

 _Ginny looked as if she were about to cry. Bill ran over and gave her a quick squeeze._

 _"I'll come and say goodnight to you when I come back."_

 _"Promise?" Ginny asked._

 _"Promise."_

Ginny's eyes opened abruptly. She glanced around her room, discovering a hint of light peeking through the curtains. She rolled onto her side, gathering her thoughts. She had been having the same dream of that childhood memory for quite some time. She didn't understand why or what importance it might have. All she knew was that that moment was a defining one in Bill's commitment to the family. He had always been around taking on the roll of a protector alongside Dad. But there was something mysterious about the way he kept leaving and returning again from seemingly nowhere.

She finally convinced herself to get out of bed- very slowly, but surely. She heard footsteps right outside her bedroom door and wondered how some of the members of her family could be such morning people?

"Ron, help me with the table, will you?" her mother called.

Ginny snapped to a realization. Today was her sixteenth birthday. What was she still doing in bed?

With a new bout of energy, Ginny hopped off her bed and in the process was met with a large amount of whipped cream on her head. She looked up and saw an overturned bucket suspended in midair. Fred and George were written all over it.

"I think it worked!" Fred's voice was heard somewhere nearby.

"Of course it did, we set it up," George replied.

Ginny marched over to the window and yanked open the curtains to reveal two of her many brothers.

"Eat this!" she shouted before scooping a handful of the cream off of her face and at those of the twins.

"Woah, there Genevra," George shrieked while attempting to stay afloat outside the window despite the distraction.

"Haven't I taught you to never call me that?"

"No need to be sour," George teased.

"Actually, I'd say she's rather… sweet," Fred licked a bit of the whipped cream Ginny threw at him. "Wouldn't you say so?"

George took that as a signal and pulled out Dad's camera.

"Oh no you don't-" Ginny tried putting a hand over the lens before he snapped a picture, but it was too late.

"We best be off now," Fred said casually.

"Yeah, happy birthday Gin!" George winked before lowering the two of them to the ground below.

"If I could use magic…" Ginny mumbled while leaving her window and wiping the rest of the whipped cream off her face. Nevertheless, she had to give them props. She loved a good prank. When they were played on her she wasn't ready to admit it, but her brothers just wouldn't be the same without their mischievous sides.

She reached to open her closet when a note fluttered from the top of her wardrobe to her feet. Ginny picked it up delicately in case it was another prank, but realized it was simply a letter. She recognized the handwriting on the envelope immediately as Bill's.

 _Ginny,_

 _Happy birthday, Buttercup! I told Mom and Dad to put this somewhere you'll see it, and hopefully they did. The one request I have is to keep this to yourself. I planned on telling you ages ago, but knew it wasn't safe to. The reason I kept disappearing all those times when I was still going to Hogwarts was because there is a world beyond here. There are people who needed my help and I couldn't just leave them. I regret not telling anyone, but at the same time that world became my own fantasy. I was the hero and didn't have to worry about other wizards and witches trying to show me up and take that sense of importance away from me. (I'm sure you've had plenty experiences of that at Hogwarts and even around home.) It was a place of my own and even though it lead to numerous problems, I cherished it deeply._

 _I know you may be confused, but I need you to see it for yourself. When you feel you're ready, go to the forest on the east side of our property and everything will play itself out. There's no point in trying to explain it all here because that will only concern you more. Please take my advice and keep this a secret, though. The reason that I never told the others is because I knew they wouldn't be able to handle it the way that you would. Your personality is drastically different than theirs'. Plus, you'll find that some space and a chance to be a hero will really come in handy around here._

 _I love you bunches. I hope to see you soon._

 _-Bill_

Ginny felt a strange mix of honor and confusion. The letter was so vague, yet held so much meaning. She folded it, placed it back into its original envelope, and put it back on the top of her wardrobe. Thoughts concerning the place Bill talked about swam in her head as she changed and left her room.

A mass of red hair collided with her, knocking her backward.

"Oi! You don't need to run me over," she said playfully.

Ron squeezed her. "Happy birthday, little sis!"

"Thanks, Ron." She returned his affections.

"Now come on, Mum's got a feast waiting for you downstairs."

As soon as he turned around, Ginny jumped onto his back just as she did when she was little. Ron chuckled and shook his head but carried her nevertheless.

"Wow, Gin. You're not as light as you used to be," Ron said. "I think it's time to lay off the sweets."

"Shut up!" Ginny laughed.

They thumped down the stairs, Ron trying not to fall and Ginny laughing at her brother. When they reached the bottom Ron let her go and made a show at shaking his arms out like she weighed as much as a hippogriff. Ginny smacked his shoulder and told him how ridiculous he was being when her mother approached her.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart!"

"Thanks Mum," Ginny said while struggling to breathe from her tight hug.

She released Ginny and held on to her arms. "Did you see Bill's letter?"

"Yes I did."

"And what did he say?" She prodded.

"Mother, do you have to be so nosy?" Ginny laughed.

"Ah, well, it's a mother's duty to know," she lead Ginny to the kitchen.

"It was just like a normal card," Ginny said, distracted now by her father approaching her. She could tell her mother wasn't satisfied with that answer. She really was nosy sometimes.

"Oh, there's my little angel!" He stuffed the last bite of a chocolate muffin into his mouth before giving his only daughter a hug.

"Did you really-?" Ginny turned to her mother excitedly.

"Yes, Hermione brought over a recipe and insisted that you'd love it, so-"

"Wait, Hermione did?"

"Mm-hmm," Molly replied. "She arrived this morning just before Harry."

"When were you going to tell me this?" Ginny asked.

"You didn't know?"

"Well surprise, then!" Arthur added before kissing his wife goodbye. "I'll be home for supper. Enjoy your day, darling."

"I will, Dad."

Sometime in the conversation Ginny was having with her mother and father Ron had snuck a muffin off the plate.

"Step away from the plate," Ginny said as threateningly as she could muster.

"Why?" Ron raised an eyebrow at her. "Looks like you're already had your fill of sweets this morning."

"What do you mean by that?" Ginny turned to where Ron was pointing and saw the very unattractive picture that George took that morning. "Oh, you've got to be kidding."

Ginny reached out and tore the picture from the wall, but another grew in its place, revealing a cream-covered Ginny reaching out to try to cover the lens.

"I'm going to kill those two!"

"Ah, sibling love," a new voice interrupted. Ginny whirled around to one of her very best friends standing in the doorway.

"Hermione!" She ran to envelop her in a hug. "Mum only told me you were coming this morning."

"I'm glad we made it in time for your birthday. The original plan was to wait and arrive this weekend, but my parents were leaving on an impromptu trip to Spain, so I came here early," Hermione said.

"And I tagged along because I didn't feel like being used as a slave by my family any more this summer," Harry said.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione frowned sympathetically.

"Where are Fred and George?" Molly said as she began levitating the plates of food to the table.

"Probably hiding from Ginny's wrath," Ron joked.

"Why would they need to do that?"

"Have you seen the wall?" Ron pointed.

"Oh, those two. What are we going to do with them?"

The meal was lovely (as always in the Weasley home) and full of a bunch of small talk. When everyone was through with breakfast, Molly asked the twins to help her clean up "for punishment for what they did to the birthday girl this morning!" and everyone else decided to get a game of quidditch together.

Hermione insisted on not playing, but was roped into it anyway since Harry and Ron kept complaining that the teams would be uneven and Ginny dropped the "I'm the birthday girl and what I say goes" line.

"Fine, but don't expect me to be helpful at all. I'll be hanging on trying not to fall out of the sky and kill myself," Hermione said.

"That's the spirit," said Ron.

Fred and George rejoined them and, despite Ginny's glares sent their way, requested to be on her team. It was the golden trio versus the trio of pranksters. The game commenced and each time the score changed, Fred would use his wand to scratch the numbers into the dirt below, startling the garden gnomes to the point of very colorful language.

The twins kept pulling out new stunts to ensure that the ball would be far out of the other team's reach, meaning it was far out of anyone's reach, and laughing all the while. After Ginny had flown to catch the ball before it got lost, she hovered only inches above the first couple of trees leading into the forest on the edge of their property. She hesitated there for a moment, Bill's letter coming to mind. She wondered what kind of people reside here and what situation they're in that Bill needed to keep secret?

"Hey, Gin! Lost something?" George called.

Ginny looked once more at the treetops and promised that she'd explore it later when there were less people around. She moved closer to her broom to speed back to the others. She tossed the ball and the game was back in full swing.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione won, much to Hermione's surprise but not to Ginny's. Fred and George's constant jokes in their attempt to form a "more fun way to play the game" had cost them in the end. But Ginny didn't care. All that was on her mind was the forest. She wondered when the best time to explore would be.

"I need to change out of these grubby clothes," Hermione said, disgusted at her own filth from the game.

"Ah, look at that," Fred teased. "Hermione's understanding the art of sweating."

"Shut up," she said, immediately heading for the stairs.

"Yeah, why don't we all change and do something else?" Ginny suggested.

"Like what?" Ron said.

"Oh, I don't know. We'll figure something out," she lied, not intending to rejoin the group.

The others shrugged, being perfectly comfortable in their clothes, but not wanting Ginny to scold them again. They slowly made their way to their respective rooms and Hermione and Ginny closed the door behind them.

"So what's going on, Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, 'why don't we all change and do something else.' It was so obvious you were just trying to get out of there," Hermione mimicked. "So what's going on?"

"Well do you want to smell their body odors for the rest of the day?"

Hermione shuddered. "No, I guess not."

"Then I did us a favor," Ginny smiled and opened her wardrobe. The letter fluttered to the floor and Ginny mentally kicked herself for forgetting that it was there. She snapped her head in Hermione's direction and breathed a sigh of relief. She had been looking through her trunk to pull out a clean outfit and hadn't noticed the letter. Ginny grabbed it off the ground and stuffed it deeper in her wardrobe where it would be sure to stay in place. The last thing she needed was a suspicious Hermione to discover another reason to keep a close eye on Ginny.

"Ready to go downstairs?" Hermione stood by the door.

"Er," Ginny said. "I'll meet you down there."

"Ginny," Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about something?"

"No, Hermione. Believe me, if I did I would tell you."

"You know you can trust me, right?"

"Of course," Ginny smiled.

Hermione continued to look at her before deciding to finally leave and give her some space. Now Ginny would have to figure out how to avoid the rest of them. She cautiously escaped her room and felt strangely as if she were wondering about Hogwarts at night. It was best to treat it as that so she won't get caught, even though the only person she definitely didn't want to run into was Hermione seeing as she was already suspicious of her. As she stepped onto the last stair, she heard voices from the other room. She slipped through the back door, making sure it didn't make noise as it closed behind her, and ran to the forest.

As she approached the trees she wondered why her family hadn't taken over this area when it was so close to their home? It seemed as if Fred and George would do anything to get their hands on a new place to use as their workshop for joke shop items. Ginny paused for a moment to catch her breath and then cautiously entered the first line of trees. She had debated bringing her wand with her for defense purposes, but it would have been utterly useless since she isn't allowed to use magic at home for another year.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was a little scared. Not just of this but of a lot of things. Ever since the Tom Riddle incident in her first year, anything that was unknown or mysterious to her seemed like a trap. But there was no way that Bill would lead her into such a quandary.

Already feeling her heart beating abnormally quickly, she jumped as she noticed a figure peeking out from behind a shrub.

"Hello?" Ginny called, trying to eliminate any fear she or he may have had.

The person was frozen in their spot, squinting and standing taller to get a better look at the source of the voice. Because of this, Ginny saw his face more clearly and recognized her brother.

"Fred, stop messing around with me! I've had enough of your pranks today."

He didn't react to Ginny's words and she mentally slapped herself.

"Sorry, George. It's an honest mistake when you're half hidden in the trees, anyway."

He glanced around as if not understanding that Ginny was speaking to him.

"Oh, honestly," Ginny rolled her eyes and began marching toward her brother.

He looked shocked at this action and shouted out, "Over here! She is here- I have found her!"

Ginny paused as the sound of rapid footsteps was heard from all directions. Men with shields bearing a moon covered on its top in eerie clouds, helmets covering most of their faces, and gripping swords were dashing toward the original figure (that she gathered by this point is not George). Her heart rate raised higher than she was comfortable with as her body went into fight or flight mode. She whirled around and made a mad dash back to her home. The only thing going through her head was, _what have I gotten myself into?_

 **Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you have any comments or suggestions for me. Thank you!**

 **-Megan**


	3. The Lost Princess

**Thank you very much to Anny for the review!**

 **Please enjoy the next chapter.**

Ch. 2

Just before Ginny made it to the place she knew, one of the many soldiers grabbed her arm.

"No!" She screamed. "Someone help!"

"Calm down Princess," a forceful, but steady voice said. "If you avoid struggling, you will be back home soon."

"Home?" Ginny yanked her arm again. "You're stopping me from returning home."

"Pardon my words," he replied. "But you have changed since you have been away."

"What are you on about?" She temporarily ceased her struggle to stare at the man.

The soldier sheathed his sword to gain a better grip on the her arms.

"Your father is sick with worry over you. I must return you to him."

"How do you know my father?"

"Everyone in the kingdom knows about your father," he said, then turned to the army behind him. "Inform the king that we have found his daughter." They nodded and dispersed back into the forest at his command.

"The king?" Ginny couldn't take any more of this madness. She took a step backward but the soldier's reflexes were superb and he managed to get around her and kept a hand on her back to move her forward. "Stop! I'm not moving."

"Princess, do not think that I will not drag you the entire route if you refuse." He cocked his head in an extremely familiar way. Ginny racked her brain, wondering why this simple movement affected her. He moved to finally take off his helmet, revealing the raven-black hair Ginny knew so well.

"Harry?" she gasped.

"Not really," he said, holding a strand of my own locks. "You are in possession of more than I."

"What? No, not hairy… I meant your name."

"I am Haydn," he said, looking at the girl suspiciously. "Princess, are you sure you are well?"

"Stop calling me that!" Ginny's hand flew to her forehead, trying to make sense of everything that was said in the last couple minutes.

"Oh, my apologies. Would you prefer that I call you Your Majesty?" He sarcastically bowed to help his point.

"Wait… You mean, royalty princess?"

"Of course. Truthfully, are you well? Did a forest creature harm you? They are capable of having terrible effects on humans…"

"I need to get out of here," Ginny said, running back to the trees.

"You must not approach that area! Princess, it is very dangerous," he easily caught up to her. "The end of the forest marks 'the other side.'"

"But that's where my home is," she said a bit angrily.

"No, your home is in the heart of the kingdom." Haydn grabbed her hand and didn't take her efforts to escape. Eventually Ginny decided to appease her curiosity and see where he was leading her.

"I'm not sure I understand. What is so bad about the other side?"

"It is dangerous," he replied simply.

"But why is that?"

"Allow me to explain," he finally faced me. "There was a soldier who was named the general of Nightfall's Army."

"Nightfall's Army?"

"The army of Nightfall Castle and King Aidan himself," he explained.

"So, Nightfall Castle is my castle?"

"Well it is your father's castle. However, you are in possession of your personal tower in the castle."

Ginny smiled and shook her head at this. She seemed so spoiled. But, despite all the confusion, she could have fun playing a role in this world!

"And my father is King Aidan?"

"The one and only."

"Am I his only child?"

"No, there is a son as well." Haydn stopped walking for a moment and looked Ginny straight in the face. "You do not recall any of this information?"

Ginny shook her head. "Maybe a forest creature did bite me."

She knew it wasn't right to lie. But she couldn't allow her experience in this world to be tainted by everyone thinking she was a fraud or there was something wrong with her.

"I will assist you in regaining this knowledge."

"Thank you," the two began walking again. "But, Haydn."

"Yes?"

"Please don't tell anyone else about this."

"Why not, Princess?"

"I don't want everyone to worry."

Haydn's face darkened as if contemplating whether to agree or to knock her out and run back to the castle to tell everyone that she was on 'the other side.'

"You have my word."

"Thank you. And please, call me Ginny."

"But that is not your name."

She didn't know her own name could be different here as well. "Then what is it?"

"Regina."

Ginny's face scrunched at this.

Haydn laughed. "It is what your mother named you. But you have always desired to be called 'Gina.'"

"What's my mother like?" Ginny asked.

Haydn wouldn't respond or even look at her.

"Haydn…"

He said very softly, "She is no longer with us."

She felt a pang in her chest. Ginny don't know what she would ever do without her mom.

"It happened during childbirth. She was gravely ill prior to your birth and was determined to remain well enough to have you, contrary to the doctor's diagnosis. It was a miracle she lasted that long." He paused before speaking again. "My parents tell me she was a lovely, generous woman. You should be honored that she was your mother."

"Did you ever meet her?"

"No," he laughed, breaking the despairing mood. "I am only one year older than you, Princess."

"Really? Then why-"

"Am I head soldier?" He finished.

"Head soldier?! I was going to ask why you were in the army, but head soldier?"

"Since the time my brother entered the army, I desired to be a soldier. He was one year older than me and my only sibling, and I looked up to him very much. I trained alongside him every day, even though I was not of age to become a part of Nightfall's Army. I finally was able to join and got put on the highest rank with my brother. He had trained me so well. But that year, he died defending the town against a loviatar attack."

"I'm so sorry," Ginny said. "These loviatar are deadly, I presume?"

"Very. They are physically half-bird and half-dragon. Countless variations exist- some with large teeth, others with spiked backs. Either way, you would not want to find yourself facing them. They are very easily angered and show no mercy."

Ginny glanced around, hoping there were none in this part of the forest.

"If I am permitted to continue?" Haydn looked at Ginny and she nodded awkwardly, not knowing if this was a normal thing for her as a princess or if he was employing sarcasm again.

"After my brother's death I became devastated. I fell into depression until I was visited by your father himself. He pleaded for me to rejoin the ranks. I knew he was correct in that my brother would never be proud seeing me mope. So I began to fight again in memory of him. Naturally, my skills developed even more and because of my determination, I quickly rose to the top."

"Wow, your brother seems like a very noble guy."

"Thank you, Gina. He was." He turned to Ginny and a small smile crept onto his face. "You know, he did very much fancy you."

"Oh?" She said surprisingly.

"He claimed it was something about your natural beauty… Of course, I do not know what he could be talking about," Haydn teased.

"Watch it, Haydn!" I punched his arm.

"Ow!" He put a hand up defensively, the way Harry always does. It was ridiculous how much he resembled him. "It is General Haydn to you!"

He laughed and Ginny feigned shock.

"Is that any way to talk to a princess?"

"What happened to your desire to not be called by that title?"

"Okay," Ginny smiled. "Truce?"

"Sure... At least for now."

Ginny rolled her eyes. Despite her first impression of this world, she was actually having a good time here.

A few minutes later (filled with a lot of small talk), the two of them arrived at a castle appearing more eloquent than Hogwarts, although it wasn't as large. However, it did have a moat surrounding it. As they crossed the bridge a grand courtyard complete with beautiful shrubbery and a tall fountain came into view. Branching off of it were numerous other gardens and pathways leading to places Ginny wouldn't know until she traversed them.

Haydn lead the way past a miniature sparkling pond and up the most clear path to a gold-trimmed door. He knocked and it was answered almost immediately by a flustered woman.

"Where HAVE you been?" Molly stared at her with her hands on her hips. Ginny stared with an open mouth at how much this woman resembled her mother. Did this world consist only of variations of the people in her life?

"She was found in the Chernobog Forest, but I assure you that she is well," Haydn explained, glancing at me in the last few words.

"You gave your father such a fright," the woman huffed. "You really must go along and see him. Come along-"

"If it is all right, Malia, I will take her to see him," Haydn interrupted. "I must speak to the king anyway."

"If you must," Malia turned back to Ginny. "Please do not be late for the dinner party tonight. Your father has very important guests coming to discuss the issues of the loviatar. Your gown is laying out in your room. And do clean yourself up before you make an appearance. You have remnants of the Chernobog all over you." She picked a small leaf off the back of Ginny's top.

Ginny hastily nodded, trying to catch up with Haydn to ask him a few questions before losing the opportunity. She hurried down the hallway and next to Haydn once more.

"Who is she to me?"

"Your first-hand maid."

"I have a maid?"

"She has been a family friend ever since your brother was born. She became the guardian of her young niece who was orphaned tragically through the war between our kingdom and that of Daireden. Your mother wanted to have her around more so she could have another woman to speak to, so she hired her as your maid when she was about to have you."

"I see." Ginny was really starting to get confused at the mixed relations she had with these people in the real world and in this place. Ginny was lost in her thoughts until Haydn pushed open a large door to the right of them, revealing a huge room full of elegant tapestries, paintings and columns surrounding the open area in the center. It looked to Ginny like a place from a fairy tale.

"This," Haydn said. "Is the throne room."

He barely finished his sentence before a man identical to Arthur hurtled himself toward the girl, engulfing her in an emotion-filled hug.

"Regina!" he cried. "Oh, my darling Gina. Where have you been?"

He grabbed Ginny's arms and looked her in the face.

"Gina, I do not ever want you to run off unannounced again, do you understand me?"

His face held that certain expression that Ginny knew too well. It was that same look that he gave her whenever she did something relating to Fred and George's antics. Where he was always a firm believer that parents shouldn't be too strict on their children and let them explore different things in order to develop their personalities (as long as it wasn't harmful to them or others), he was easily worried when they acted against their character. Even though Ginny didn't know much about this world and who exactly she is here, she did know that running away was not like her at all. This was the point where he would tell her that she should be ashamed…

"You should be ashamed of your actions," he said. "Running into the Chernobog! You had no idea how worried I was." He hugged his daughter again and she returned his affections to portray her remorse. "My only daughter in the forest. So many things could have happened."

"I'm sorry Dad," she replied into his shoulder. "Really, I am.

Ginny couldn't handle seeing her dad like this. Real or not, it was equally heartbreaking. She has always held a special spot for her father in her heart. He was the one who was wrapped around her little finger since he had always hoped for a little girl.

"Are you alright?" He looked at Ginny's face once again.

"Yes, I'm fine," she smiled to help her point. He returned her smile the way she loved.

"Accepted," he took a breath to recompose himself. "Now you should head up to your room and ready yourself for the party this evening." He kissed the top of his daughter's head and sent one more smile her way.

"Your majesty, I must speak with you," Haydn said.

Ginny shot Haydn a look, silently pleading him not to worry her father any further. He looked back at her apologetically, but when she persisted he unsurely nodded his head.

"Of course, General Haydn. Just one moment please," Kind Aidan turned back to Ginny. "Now locate Malia and prepare for our event. I am expecting the guests very shortly."

Ginny turned to leave out the door she entered the throne room in. Haydn cleared his throat and she turned her head in his direction. He subtly motioned for the other side of the room making it clear that she was going the wrong way. Embarrassed, she glanced at her father and noticed his confused expression. She flashed him a smile and quickly escaped through the door on the west side. She closed the door behind her and rolled her eyes at herself. Will she ever get the hang of this?

A girl looking exactly like Hermione jumped at the sight of her and looked away from the grand painting she was clearly staring at just a moment before.

"Oh, excuse me Princess," she said, looking slightly embarrassed. "I was only looking-"

"You don't need to be ashamed," Ginny smiled and approached the girl. Hermione's twin stepped to the side to make room for Ginny in front of the image. It was of a woman in an extravagant dress standing beside her throne. She had gorgeous red hair and lively green eyes. Ginny couldn't believe it- she was staring at Lily Potter. She quickly scanned the golden frame for an inscription. The plate read 'Queen Lila Evelyn Riley - Rest in Paradise.'

"You must really miss her," the girl sighed.

"Yeah," Ginny replied, channeling 'Gina'. "Yeah, I do."

"It must be even worse knowing you have never been given the chance to just talk to her." Ginny looked at her and saw that her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears. She knew that this wasn't just about Ginny's mom.

"Where is your mum?"

"She was killed in the war fifteen years ago," she looked at Ginny. "Remember?"

"Oh, right," Ginny covered up. Ginny knew nothing about these people, but she kept forgetting that 'Gina' should know everything about them.

"Well, it is certainly wonderful to have you back, Gina," she wiped her eyes and smiled. "I had no one to talk to except for your brother."

Ginny let out a giggle. If this brother was 'Ron' we were talking about, 'Hermione' would have liked that. The Hermione look-alike blushed.

"Oh my gosh," Ginny smiled. "You like my brother!"

"I do not…" she blushed more fiercely. "Just keep it down, please! I do not wish for the whole castle knowing that Holly likes Prince Rylan."

Ginny made a mental note of the names.

"Besides…" Holly said. "I am not at any advantage. Why would he want me when he could have a princess?"

"Don't say that! There's always hope."

"But you and I both know how determined your father is to set you and your brother up with royalty."

"He is?" It came out as more of a disgusted remark than a question.

"Oh no, were you not aware? I should not have mentioned it…"

"At least I have a heads-up," Ginny rolled her eyes.

"But he means well."

"Regina! Oh, there you are," Malia bursted into the corridor smiling warmly. "You had better come with me and get prepared for the party."

"Yes, of course," I moved to follow her.

"And Holly dear, your dress is on your bed. Please get dressed and then meet us in Gina's room."

Holly nodded and turned down the hall.

"Come along, Gina," Malia took the lead to Ginny's relief, since she had no idea where her room was. The two of them walked down a series of hallways and up a very elegant-looking staircase. There were beautiful pictures of knights sword-fighting and children playing in the marketplace, but these pictures didn't move much to Ginny's amazement. She guessed she took after her dad a bit in her interest in muggle things. Ginny caught herself staring awkwardly and quickly moved to catch up with Malia once more. She stopped suddenly, causing Ginny to collide with her.

"Oh! Pardon me Rylan," Malia stepped to the side revealing Ron wearing elegant clothing. Ginny almost laughed at the sight, but stopped herself before she actually did.

"Not at all," Rylan smiled politely. He caught a glimpse of Ginny and his eyes widened. "Gina! Where were you? We all thought some loviatar got a hold of you." He hugged her, which was very un-Ron like.

"Rylan, do not think such things! We all knew she would return," Malia said.

"Father was worried out of his mind," he continued. "I have never seen him so worried."

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," Ginny said.

"You had better not do it again though. Holly went insane too."

Ginny felt a deep sense of remorse, but shook it off knowing that she herself didn't cause that. She pushed the blame onto 'Gina' rather than herself.

"We are very pleased you are home," Malia interrupted. "Rylan, Donovan put your clothes out for you. I advise you to prepare for the dinner party very soon." He gave Ginny a kind wave again before Malia pushed her around another corner.

 **End of chapter two. Please review if you have any comments, suggestions, or whatever it may be! Thank you for reading :)**

 **-Megan**


	4. Revelations

**I do apologize for the wait in the update. I just bought my own laptop so I have more time to write. Stay tuned for more chapters coming more quickly now.**

 **Meanwhile, enjoy this one!**

Ch. 3

Behind the most ornate door Ginny had ever seen, painted in a majestic blue with various types of flowers carved into it, was her room. It was everything she had always wished her room could be- spacious, comfy, and full of personality. She scanned the room with excitement. There was stylish furniture along with wall and floor decor that definitely fit her taste, not to mention a large bed full of stuffed animals.

No matter what anyone else says, one can never grow out of stuffed animals.

Ginny ran and leapt onto her bed, bouncing into the pile of stuffed creatures, laughing all the while. Malia could only laugh at the childish action and proceeded to open the blinds keeping the sun out. Ginny observed the sunlight fill the room and make it come to life.

"Do be careful not to wrinkle your gown," Malia pointed at the foot of her bed.

Ginny sat up to view the dress. It was a beautiful royal purple with a silver and purple flower sash flowing closely across one shoulder and down the left side.

"Woah." She had never seen something so astonishing in her life. This type of dress couldn't compare to the dress robes she was used to. It was much more extravagant and will undoubtedly cause her to feel more like a princess once she put it on.

"Now do not hesitate-" Malia started, but was cut off by an excited girl with the dress slung over her arm rushing to her closet. Malia laughed and left to gather the necessities to style Ginny's hair.

Even the closet in Ginny's room was enough to make her gasp. It was quite roomy with a floor-length mirror covering one wall and the other three full of racks of clothes and shoes. Once her dress was on, she admired her reflection. She had never looked so elegant in her life. It made her feel happy even though she knew this was only a fantasy. As she made her way into the main quarters of her room again, Holly gasped.

"Gina, you look gorgeous!"

"Thank you," Ginny twirled around, playing with her princess appearance. "You do as well."

It was the truth. The girl Ginny saw earlier was clothed in a simple dress that was well worn, but now she was dressed almost as elegantly as Ginny. She wore a sky blue gown with subtle white gems hidden in the skirt.

After about an hour of Malia styling the two girls' hair, they faced the mirror in satisfaction. According to the older woman, the guests were arriving and they needed to go greet them to maintain a good image.

All of Ginny's excitement quickly transformed into nerves. How was a princess supposed to act at a party? She figured it was best to be kind and try to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible so not as many eyes would be on her in case she acted un-princess-like. Many thoughts were swimming around her head and Ginny finally snapped back to reality as the sound of voices and laughter grew louder as they approached the grand ballroom. She and Holly followed behind Malia until they reached the door.

"Now be sure to behave yourself. You do not wish to make the King or yourselves be viewed negatively," she instructed.

The two girls nodded sincerely.

"And please do not wander off," Malia wagged a finger at Ginny. She embarrassedly sent her a smile for assurance.

"Have a magnificent time, both of you," Malia said. She smiled and began to walk toward the kitchens.

"Wait, are you not attending?" Holly asked.

"I will be present for the meeting, but as of the present I have other duties to tend to. Now go!" She nudged the girls through the doors.

The sound was deafening to Ginny. It reminded her of the Gryffindor common room after a quidditch game. There were many adults sitting on couches and laughing heartily at her father's stories, with bottles of who knows what in their fists. Then there were ladies dressed in elegant gowns talking amongst themselves in a more delicate manner. There were also teens and a few children in the center of the room dancing and chatting with one another. Just like everyone else Ginny had met in this alternate world, each new person represented someone from the world she knew. Some were Order members and some were her acquaintances from school. It was strange for Ginny to see them all as different people here.

While she was scanning the crowd, Ginny noticed her brother looking annoyed while a small girl looking about age ten clung to his leg with a look of admiration. She couldn't help but laugh and point out the scene to Holly.

"Oh my," Holly said. "It looks as though little Adalyn is at it again. She cannot get enough of him."

Rylan finally saw us watching him and gave us a pleading look.

"Should we help him?" Ginny asked.

"The only person she listens to is you," Holly replied. "Go work your magic."

Holly made her way into the crowd to join the other teens and Ginny started toward her brother and his adoring fan.

"Princess Gina!" The little girl's eyes twinkled as she addressed Ginny.

"Hello," she crouched to talk to her face-to-face. For some reason, she couldn't place this little girl even though everyone else was easy to recognize. She had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. The look on her face reminded Ginny of Colin Creevey. It made her wonder if he had a younger sister who would be attending Hogwarts soon.

"I am ever so delighted they found you," she said, still clinging onto Rylan's leg. "My brothers said that Nightfall's Army was starting to think the search was a lost cause."

Ginny felt yet another wave of guilt and quickly changed the subject.

"Are your brothers in the army?"

"Indeed! They are very brave," she smiled proudly. "Cade is in the highest rank, and Dominic just recently joined."

It was quite possible that 'Cade' and 'Dominic' were Colin and Dennis. This girl definitely looked like a Creevey.

"Well, would you like to get some butterbeer?" Ginny offered.

Both Adalyn and Rylan looked at me confusedly.

"Or some…" Ginny wondered what drinks were popular here.

"Hot vanilla?" Rylan suggested.

"Yes, I love that!" Adalyn jumped up, freeing Rylan.

She skipped over to the drink counter and Rylan mouthed 'Thank you!'

Ginny laughed and shook her head as if it was nothing before following the young girl. After buying Adalyn and herself drinks Ginny scanned the crowd once more, taking in the magical environment. It seemed like something straight out of a story book. Ginny felt her insides bubble with excitement as she lived her childhood dream of being a princess. Someone tapped her on the shoulder waking Ginny from her temporary reverie. She spun around and noticed Neville's familiar face looking down at her. He bowed in respect.

"Nate Lucas," he introduced politely and held out his hand. "Would you care to accompany me in a dance, Princess?"

A memory of the Yule Ball in Ginny's third year flashed across her mind. She had danced with Neville then and as much as she enjoyed spending time with a friend, it wasn't everything she had wished for in a dance.

"Sure, I'd love to," Ginny replied while taking his hand. Nate let out a breath and the pair joined the others in the center of the room. Before long, they were spinning just as smoothly as everyone else. Nate was a much better dancer than Neville, and Ginny was really enjoying herself. As the orchestra began to play a calm song, Ginny broke the silence between them.

"So, Nate. Tell me about yourself."

"Well, Princess-"

"Please, just call me Gina." Nate smiled.

"If you insist… Gina. I am the only son of Fabian and Abigail Lucas and a part of Nightfall's Army."

"I take it there are a lot of soldiers in the army?"

"Absolutely. It seems as though all of the men in the kingdom aspire to be brave warriors. The army is the perfect fit for their goals."

"I have to give you guys credit. Fighting the loviatar, training constantly, defending the castle and the kingdom…"

Nate blushed at this. "Truly, it is not a hassle. It is our duty as soldiers. We were very aware that these were the requirements before agreeing to it."

"But you at least deserve a thank you," Ginny smiled. While he was shyly avoiding her gaze before, he took this moment to stare straight into her eyes.

"That is what I admire about you, Gina. You never expect things for yourself. You are grateful for what you are given and I am very pleased that I am a part of your kingdom." His face fell slightly. "I truly hope your brother does not go through with his planned marriage to Princess Lacey. If she were queen I may perhaps flee this kingdom."

Ginny was shocked to discover that the kingdom knew about such future plans. Ginny herself didn't even know much about them. She was also surprised at his strong opinion.

"I apologize. I should not have said anything of the sort," Nate took her pause as a negative action.

"No, everyone is entitled to their own opinion," Ginny said sweetly. "But what's wrong with Princess Lacey?"

"You do not see it? Excuse my opinion, but the question should be what is not wrong with her. She is very arrogant and discourteous to anyone who is not royalty. She is not a good fit for this kingdom."

Ginny thought about this and made a mental note to talk to Holly or even Rylan about this subject as soon as she could.

"And dare I say it, Prince Darien is just as unbearable. He does not bother with anyone else's feelings and should not be entitled to a maiden like you. You deserve more than what he has to offer."

The last part was barely audible because Nate began to regret his words, but Ginny got the point. The orchestra played the last note and Ginny thanked Nate for the dance. She really hoped she would see him again, but needed to talk to someone about this issue. Ginny tried looking for Holly but had no luck in finding her. She leaned against the wall farthest from the activities and thought about everything that had happened in the semi-short amount of time that she was in this alternate universe. The more she thought, the more she realized that she had no idea what happened to the real world while she was here. Was time frozen? Was everyone worrying about where she disappeared to? She thought about Bill all those years ago and inferred that they were probably starting to worry, just as they did with him.

"What are you pondering about?" a familiar voice interrupted Ginny's thoughts.

"It's nothing," Ginny said as Haydn leaned against the wall just beside her. "I'm just-"

She didn't know what to tell him. What was she supposed to say? 'Oh, I'm just thinking about how your world is all just a big fantasy and that I need to get back to mine on 'the other side.' Catch you later!' That would make him flip.

She settled on repeating her earlier phrase. "It's nothing."

"Well if it is not anything, then you will not be requiring me-" He moved to leave, but Ginny grabbed his wrist.

"But maybe there is something you can do."

"Tell me what it is. I will do anything."

That last bit sent a fluttering feeling through Ginny's stomach.

"Do you think we can take a walk outside?"

"As you wish," he nodded and offered his arm to escort her out of the room.

"Gina! Darling, where ever are you going?" Ginny's father stood from his seat as the two passed by.

"Just out to the gardens to get some fresh air."

He gave his daughter a concerned look. Before Ginny could say anything else, Haydn stepped in.

"Do not fear, your majesty. I will personally see to it that she is kept safe and does not disappear again."

My father nodded and Ginny could tell how much respect and faith he had in Haydn. It seemed strange at first, but once Ginny thought about it she realized that it wasn't so out of character for him. In the real world, he really did admire all Harry has done and how loyal he is to his friends. It made her admiration for the boy grow even more knowing that her family sees what she sees in him.

Haydn led Ginny through the corridors into the courtyard where they had first entered the castle earlier. They walked in silence for a few minutes, Ginny not wanting to break the peace just yet. They eventually heard some of the castle guards speaking to one another, unknowing of their presence.

"I keep hearing them. It seems as if they are steadily approaching…"

"I wonder what it is they want. The soldiers can only hold them off for so long before they become too violent."

"I hear they are training more men to assist in ridding of the beasts."

"I hope so. I do not know what the king would do if the soldiers were unable to stop them."

A distant screech sounded, confirming the guards' words. Ginny looked up at Haydn with worry.

"Do you think it's safe to be out here?"

"Certainly," Haydn nodded bravely. "For now, at least."

That last part didn't comfort Ginny. She wanted to talk to him quickly and go back inside. She wished to ask Haydn about the prince and princess, but didn't know if he was the right person to talk to about that. Her own feelings for him made it feel wrong to speak with him about such a subject.

"Gina, you have something on your mind. I can see it." He stopped walking and faced her.

"Well…" Ginny finally settled on confiding in him. She had to talk to someone, and he was the one that could be trusted most. After all, he did keep her from looking crazy around everyone else even though he was extremely suspicious of her situation. "Okay, you're going to think I'm completely mental…"

"Perhaps," Haydn laughed. He stopped quickly after seeing her serious look. "You can trust me with anything."

"Okay… But please hear me out before you go insane from everything I'm about to tell you."

"What ever is it?"

"You know how you found me near the entrance of the forest earlier?"

"Yes, Princess…"

"And I had supposedly been gone for a long time?"

"Indeed, a very long time."

"Didn't you find it weird that I had absolutely no idea who I was or where I was?"

"I did have my suspicions…"

"It wasn't just some bizarre misunderstanding." He listened to me with a very serious and intent look on his face. "I don't belong in this 'world.' This morning, I was in my home with my brothers, my dad, and my mom. It was my birthday and we were just having a good time when I found myself caught up in this." She gestured around her with her hands, having lost the right words.

Haydn looked back at her with a hardened look on his face. He contemplated what was just said for a minute before speaking.

"Are you attempting to tell me that you are not Gina?"

"Sort of."

"Then who might you be?"

"Ginny Weasley."

"Forgive me, but that is impossible. You are definitely the Gina everyone is familiar with."

"You don't understand. I have some double character or something. The weirdest thing is that all of you in this world are doubles of people I know in my world." Ginny was sincerely hoping that he wouldn't go crazy with this information.

"I am not following…"

Ginny struggled to find the right words to say, but groaned in frustration instead.

"It's just so confusing, but I don't belong-"

A deafening half screech, half roar echoed in the trees behind the castle gates. Ginny froze and Haydn drew his sword and swiftly pushed her behind him in the same motion. She grabbed onto his shoulders for comfort and knew that her fears were confirmed with the beating wings of a loviatar. One question that was vital to answer coursed through her head. 'If I die in this world, what would happen to me in the real one?'

 **There you have it! I'm currently writing the next chapter, so that one will be up within a couple days depending on how many other projects I take on while trying to write.**

 **Please leave a review if you wish :)**

 **-Megan**


	5. Constant Battles

**As promised, here is the next installment to the story. Enjoy!**

 **Ch. 4**

The ground shook with each step in such an unreal way according to Ginny. She tensed up as the creature let out another deafening sound. Haydn glanced backward at Ginny to make sure she was okay. What he didn't see was the monster crashing through the last line of trees to where it was in plain sight. The loviatar's eyes narrowed in on the two as it's claw shot toward them. Haydn pulled Ginny down in yet another swift motion just in time to avoid being shredded to pieces.

"Go inside, Gina," Haydn said firmly.

Ginny instinctively listened and began to back up toward the bushes. She prayed Haydn had the power to battle this beast alone. The beast breathed a line of fire, but Haydn's reflexes were quick and he was able to dodge it. Ginny knew she needed to help.

She looked around to see what she could use to fight such a creature. She found a thick tree branch on the ground and grabbed it. The loviatar flapped its wings at her abrupt motion and Haydn lunged at it.

"Haydn!" Ginny shouted, unable to keep her nervousness quiet. The loviatar knocked him into a tree and he lied in a heap among the fallen leaves. It slowed only for a second before hissing as it approached him again, sensing his breath.

Ginny heaved and lifted the large branch. She began to move, but the loviatar sensed her before she could get close enough to take a swing at it. She froze and had to rethink her plan, knowing hitting the monster won't do anything but cause it to retaliate. As much as she hated leaving Haydn without his weapon, she decided she needed to defend the both of them at the moment. Breaking her stance, Ginny lunged toward Haydn and picked up his sword. Her movement caused the loviatar to reach at her with its claw, but timing was on her side. Without intending for it to happen, the motion of swinging the sword off of the ground caused the weapon to collide with its limb, and Ginny sliced it right off. It screamed out in its screech-roar hybrid sound and Ginny felt a sense of hope.

She made to stand up and run to the rear of the creature to attack again as it was focused on its detached claw. The creature's agility was impeccable. It knew it couldn't very well attack with the other limb since it was standing on it, so it lunged with its beak. Ginny slammed her body into the ground just in time to avoid it. When she looked up, however, she discovered that the upper half of the loviatar's beak was on her left and the lower was on her right. She could feel its hot breath on her and knew that one more move could do her in.

She began to slowly crawl out from under its beak and heard its noises clearly as it attempted to free itself from the ground. Ginny was halfway out before it screeched once more and she felt extra warmth behind her. She knew what was about to happen and scrambled to get out of the way before the fire came. It was too quick for her and the flame licked her leg. Ginny cried out at feeling the white-hot searing pain coursing through her leg and almost didn't hear the thump echoing the area.

It was hard for her to see through the tears now flowing, but she did take notice to the lifeless creature resting near her. She wanted to feel relieved, but the pain was too strong. She didn't even know how the loviatar died since its beak getting stuck in the ground certainly wasn't enough to kill it. But she couldn't keep her mind focused on anything else. She whimpered and breathed in again, grasping her leg and certainly feeling the burning sensation.

Ginny didn't hear another person approach her but could feel a third hand on her delicate leg. She snapped her head in the direction of the other person's and saw no other than Draco Malfoy crouching next to her. Her discomfort from her injury quickly fed her irritation and she slapped his hand away.

"Ow!" He shouted out. "Fine way to treat the gentleman who just saved your life!"

"What are you doing here?" Ginny yelled back.

He looked at her, aghast.

"All right, I know your leg is in pain, but that is no way to respond to me." Ginny noticed that he sounded more hurt than angry.

Ginny couldn't bear the pain much longer. "Just help me get Haydn back to the castle."

"Very well, but I still think you should at least thank me." He found Haydn and hoisted the unconscious body over his shoulder.

"For what?" Ginny snapped, unable to contain her frustration.

"For saving your life!" he repeated. "Had I not shot that arrow into the loviatar's neck, you would be dead."

As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew he was right. Her pride kept pushing back at her common sense's urge to comply to his request. It was hard to thank someone she'd always had such a revulsion toward.

"Fine, I'm sorry," she looked at the ground. "Thank you."

"You are forgiven. Now come along, Gina. We must get you both inside at once."

Ginny followed behind him, limping all the while and trying not to cry out in pain again. Malfoy saw this and reached out his free arm to support her. Beyond all the pain, she was shocked he was being so helpful. Even though it must have been physically difficult for him, she appreciated that he was sincerely trying to support both of them to get them help. As they approached the castle, a group of soldiers rushed toward them.

"Prince Darien! What ever is going on?" a soldier asked.

Ginny stopped walking. Prince Darien? This was the person her father was trying to set her up with? She was angered beyond words.

"Gina, come on. You need to be seen," Darien said, frustrated by her attitude.

Ginny tried her best to push past him and walk on her own, but stumbled under the pain of her leg. A soldier grabbed her before she hit the ground and helped her inside.

"Precisely how has your leg been injured?" the thick accent of none other than Seamus Finnigan presented itself.

"The loviatar's fire," Ginny said, wincing once again.

"Oh, no," he shook his head.

"Is it bad?" Ginny didn't want to look at it.

Before the soldier could answer, King Aidan bursted into the hallway.

"No, Gina!" he gasped. The anxiety in his expression was evident. Ginny felt awful causing him more distress.

"She has been burned by the loviatar," the Seamus look-alike explained.

"So close? I understood that they had been temporarily contained in the forest," King Aidan said, almost accusingly.

"I am deeply apologetic, your majesty."

"Where's Haydn?"

"Malia is taking care of him down in the guest room," Darien made a reappearance.

"He was supposed to be protecting you," King Aidan said while scooping Ginny up in his arms. At this point, countless people were spilling into the hallway to find out what all the excitement was about and Ginny could tell her dad didn't want to make a scene. He began taking me to my tower. As much as she was embarrassed to be carried like a child to her room, Ginny was grateful as the pain started to mildly subside.

"He really tried, Dad. He just-"

"Did not?" he said angrily.

"No, it wasn't his fault."

"What ever was he thinking? He must have heard the loviatar getting closer to the castle!" There was nothing Ginny could do to calm down her father when he was so heated. "I will need to have a serious discussion with him if he intends to keep his 'Head Soldier' status."

"It was my fault!" Ginny shut him up. "I was the one who asked him to go with me. If anyone is to blame, it's me. Please don't punish him."

"Gina," he looked at his daughter with an intense affection. "I have lost you once, I will not allow it to happen again."

Ginny only caught a glimpse of tears forming in his eyes before she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you, Daddy," she whispered.

"I love you too, Gina."

He kissed her forehead and pushed open the doors to her room. He set her down on her bed and made his way back to the entrance of the room.

"I will call for Malia to tend to that burn once she is done with Haydn."

Ginny felt overwhelmed with all the issues between the alternate universe and the real world and with the pain on top of the emotional stress, she couldn't help but cry. She slowly drifted off to sleep, barely noticing Malia entering and treating her burn. She could only remember a soothing feeling spreading through her leg before she fell asleep.

* * *

 **Back at the Burrow…**

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting at the table in the kitchen, looking over their lists for school.

"Dress robes are on the list again," Hermione stated. "I wonder what kind of dance we'll be having this year?"

"If there's a dance, I'm not going," Ron groaned.

This earned a glare from Hermione. "Ron, it's only one night. You can handle that."

"But all the girls make such a big deal out of it. It makes me uncomfortable."

"Well maybe if you asked the right person, you wouldn't have that problem!"

"Would you two shut up already?" Harry laughed. Both of their heads snapped to his direction, as if just noticing he was there.

"Sorry, Harry," Hermione said with a trace of a blush on her cheeks. Ron gave her one last look while she focused back on her list, and Harry could tell that he was thinking about what she said about asking the right person.

"Hermione-" Ron was interrupted by Molly rushing around the corner.

"You three haven't seen Ginny, have you?"

"Last I saw she was in the backyard," Harry replied. His thoughts played back on that morning and a slight smile crept over his face as he realized that he was beginning to very much enjoy his time spent with the girl. He quickly stopped it before anyone questioned him.

"Yeah, I haven't seen her since just after our quidditch game earlier," Hermione frowned slightly.

Ron picked up on this surprisingly quickly. "I don't think it's anything to worry about. Ginny likes to hang out in her hiding places a lot. I think she gets tired of being around boys all the time."

Hermione snickered at this, knowing exactly how Ginny felt.

"Hey!" Ron smiled. "When boys get bored they pick on the girls."

"Ronald, I don't think-" Hermione started, but was interrupted by Harry.

"So you think she's just in some secret spot?"

"Yeah, she's discovered loads of them," Ron said. "Every time one of us finds it, she moves to another."

"Smart girl," Hermione commented.

"Well she's been gone far too long for my comfort," Molly said, the panic evident in her voice.

"We can help look for her," Hermione suggested. "I'm sure she'll turn up."

Ron and Harry exchanged a glance, knowing that whether or not they agree, Hermione will make them do it. Harry didn't mind, but Ron was a little put off.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. We'll find her," Harry agreed.

"Thank you all," Molly said. "And let me know as soon as you find her."

"Where are her hiding places usually located?" Hermione asked Ron.

"I don't' know- they're secret!" Ron said.

"Honestly, Ron. You're no help," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"She gets really creative, but they're usually outdoors."

"So we should just split up and look then?" Harry suggested.

"That's probably our best bet," Hermione said.

The three of them separated and Harry headed toward the woods, away from the other two. Harry knew how Ginny must have felt. Although it wasn't the same situation, Harry had wanted to hide from Dudley and his gang on multiple occasions. He thought of himself climbing a tree because his cousin very well couldn't get up there and his cronies were far too thick to know how.

Harry began searching toward the trees. He had to cleverly avoid getting into garden gnome quarrels quite a few times, but tried to see through the massive canopies of the plants. He began a journey into the woods but decided against it in case he were to get lost. He decided it was better to call out.

"Ginny!" he shouted. Nothing.

"Ginny!" he tried again. As he turned to leave the area he heard a distant roar. Harry wasn't sure he wanted to stay long enough to find out what could be hidden in these mysterious woods. Or maybe he was just hearing things.

"Harry!" a voice made his heart race, but realized it was Hermione. He jogged back toward the house and saw Ron and Hermione standing with Arthur.

"Did you find her?" Harry called out.

"No, but the clock in the kitchen says that she's travelling," Arthur said. "Whether she's really travelling or the clock is just stuck, I'm not sure. But if the clock is right, she could be far away. You three can go anywhere you need to, but whatever you do, stick together. We don't need anyone else disappearing."

"Let's hope we can find her," Hermione said.

"I have all the boys alerted and those not at work are participating in the search."

"Good," Ron said. Harry noticed the seriousness of the situation since her parents are going to such desperate measures to find her again. With dark wizards continuing to rise it's hard not to be worried. They could only hope that someone finds her as soon as possible.

* * *

 **Back to the Alternate Universe…**

Ginny woke up to an extremely comforting feeling. She looked around and noticed that Holly was rubbing circles over the burn with tear stains on her cheeks.

"Hey you," Ginny smiled.

Holly looked up in hope and hugged Ginny.

"You scared me, Gina!" she cried. "Please do not ever do such a thing again."

"Believe me, I didn't like it either," she laughed weakly.

"We were all so worried about you. The medicine put you out for about half the day…"

"Half the day?" Ginny sat up straight.

"No, Gina. You must lie down. Malia has instructed me to see to it that you do not act rashly."

"Where's Haydn?" Ginny realized how desperate she sounded, but she didn't care. She needed to make sure he was all right.

"He is presently in the guest room downstairs," she slightly smiled. "You know, he was just as concerned about you as well."

Ginny ignored Holly's knowing look. "Is he doing alright?"

"Yes, I believe so. He suffered from a concussion as well as becoming unconscious within the action."

"Thank goodness no one was seriously hurt," Ginny exhaled.

"Although your father was infuriated. A loviatar attack on the night they were discussing how to solve the matter!"

Malia bursted through the door in a panic as Ginny was used to her real mother doing.

"Gina!" she smiled. "I presume you are feeling better? That medicine should have healed it most of the way. Unfortunately I do not believe that scar will disappear anytime soon."

"Thank you Malia, for everything," Ginny said and Malia nodded before leaving. She started climbing out of bed, but Holly stopped her again.

"What are you doing?"

"Just taking a walk."

"I do not think that is a good idea just yet," Holly said concernedly.

"Please. I don't like being cooped up in bed," Ginny said, knowing very well that Holly wasn't bold enough to say anything to convince her not to.

"Are you sure you will be fine?"

"Of course!" Ginny smiled and headed to her closet to put her normal clothes on that she first arrived in.

"If anything happens to you your dad will murder me," Holly groaned.

"I'll be careful, Holly. Besides, I won't be gone too long."

Ginny was surprised she had no run-ins with anyone in the castle. There were a few close calls, but she had had enough experience sneaking around Hogwarts to know how to avoid the collision. In the forest, Ginny was extra cautious. Her reflexes became more skilled as she made her way through to the other side while listening for any sign of potential danger. A very uneventful journey strengthened her understanding that this alternate universe was in fact a fantasy. But she still didn't want to take any chances.

Her heart rate quickened as she stepped through the last line of trees and came into view of the Burrow. She immediately felt homesick and ran to the back door. She swung the door open and almost ran into her mother.

"GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY!"

Ginny gulped, bracing herself for what was coming next.

"Don't you EVER scare us like that again! Where have you been? I want straight answers RIGHT NOW!"

"Mum, relax-"

"RELAX? You've been missing for almost two days and you tell me to RELAX?!"

"Mum, it's okay," Ginny started, but didn't know exactly what to tell her. She couldn't tell her the truth and ruin Bill's and her own secret.

"Do you know how much you made us worry?" her voice broke. "We thought you were attacked- or worse!"

"I was just out back in the forest, there's nothing to worry about…"

"For two days?! It's just like Bill all over again! And neither of you tells us ANYTHING!"

With that, she stormed upstairs. Ginny felt a pang in her chest, and she was about to go after her and apologize when her dad entered the scene.

"Ginny, you should be ashamed of yourself," he said sternly. "You might not tell us what you were doing, but it was wrong of you. Seriously upsetting your mother and frightening the living daylights out of us! Your brothers plus Harry and Hermione have spent all night and today searching for you."

He gripped Ginny's shoulders and she couldn't help but notice the dark circles under his eyes.

"I have no choice but to punish you for this."

Her father had never really been one to remain angry at anything his children did. She must have really struck a nerve for him to be reacting so harshly to Ginny. She felt immensely guilty and angry at the predicament she was in. How could Bill lead her into this kind of trap?

"Dad, I didn't try to worry anyone," Ginny could feel her eyes welling up out of frustration.

"Then do you care to tell me what your intentions were?"

Ginny stood there with her mouth open, trying to find the words to say.

"That's what I thought," he frowned. "Starting right now you are to stay in your room, only to come down for meals. Do you understand?"

All she could do was stand there shocked. Ginny's father had never acted that way to her before. She felt the tears starting and ran upstairs before they could fall. She slammed her door for good measure and then collapsed onto her bed.

Deep inside, she knew it was wrong of her to stay in the alternate universe for so long. It was just so difficult for her to balance the two worlds when she couldn't tell people of either one the truth. She'll have to manage it better if she ever wanted to go back.

Ginny's thoughts were interrupted by a tapping on her window and a familiar looking owl. At first she didn't want to let the creature in because she knew Tasha was Bill's owl and she wasn't sure she wanted to see anything Bill had to say at the moment. But she knew it wasn't the poor animal's fault, and let the bird inside before her wings gave out on her. Ginny grabbed the letter and flopped on her bed again as the owl flew around excitedly. Tasha's cheery attitude was getting to Ginny, and when Tasha let out a content "hoot" Ginny glared.

"Oh, shut up."

Despite her harsh feelings toward Bill, she was a little curious as to what he was trying to say. Ginny found herself opening the letter before her mind could understand what she was doing.

 _Buttercup,_

Ginny groaned. As much as she wanted to be mad at him, the nickname made her remember all the good times they had together. She knew Bill wouldn't intentionally set her up for failure. She continued to read.

 _Dad owled me and told me that you were missing. I know this is the last thing you want to hear right now, but you need to be more careful! I know it can be hard and you can get caught up very easily in the happenings of that world, but believe me when I say that it's not worth it. I've been in your place and I know you're frustrated. But don't take it out on Mum and Dad. They just want you to be safe._

 _I hope you are home soon and see this message. And remember that if you need me I'll always give you the time of day to talk it over with you. I love you, Ginny!_

 _-Bill_

There was nothing else Ginny could do right then, so she scribbled a note on the back of his letter. 'I need you now.' She tied the letter again to Tasha's leg and sent her off. Ginny took some time at her window staring out into the forest to think about what she was going to do now. Soon, she noticed Fred and George apparate, talking animatedly to one another as they made their way into the house. They barely made it to the back door before Ron, Hermione, and Harry apparated with Arthur. The last was still looking flustered and the others had a strange mixture of relief and confusion, save for Ron who was frowning.

Ginny knew it was only a matter of time before she had to face them, but she had no idea what she was going to say. She fell onto her bed and pulled the blankets up to her head as she listened to the footsteps growing nearer. She hoped they wouldn't come in just yet, but her wish wasn't granted.

The door opened and a calm voice could be heard.

"Ginny?"

It was Harry, she was certain of that. She pulled the blankets off of her head.

"What, did they send you because they figured I would tell you everything?"

"N-no-" Harry started, shifting uncomfortably. Another person entered the scene.

"Come on, Ginny. We just want to talk to you," Hermione pleaded.

"If you're here to yell at me, you can just leave," Ginny turned to face the wall. Hermione took that as an invitation to sit by her on the bed.

"We just wanted to let you know that if you wanted to tell us anything, we're all ears."

"I didn't mean to disturb anyone," Ginny said. "I didn't even mean to be gone for that long."

The two had no idea what she was talking about, but waited for her to say more. This was an approach Ginny wasn't familiar with as it seemed like her family would interrogate her until they got answers. Maybe that's why Hermione and Harry came in and left Ron out. Ginny appreciated this and felt the tears come again. However, they didn't make it past her eyes this time.

"I wish I could tell you," Ginny looked at her lap.

"Why can't you?" Hermione asked.

"I… promised."

Hermione gave Harry a confused glance, and Harry simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Well if there's anything we can do, just let us know."

Ginny saw the genuine concern in Harry's face and she nodded.

"Promise you won't hesitate to come to us?" Hermione asked.

Ginny knew instantly why she was acting so concerned. Hermione must have believed that whatever was going on with Ginny was something along the lines of her incident during her first year at Hogwarts with Tom Riddle's diary. Back then she didn't tell anyone because she was afraid of what they might think. Hermione was afraid that Ginny wouldn't tell them what's going on since it was something she didn't do before.

"Hermione," Ginny almost smiled. "Thank you for the concern. But it's really not as big of a deal as you think."

Suddenly Bill apparated into Ginny's room, scaring all of its inhabitants.

"Merlin, Bill!" Harry shouted.

"What are you doing?" Hermione breathed.

"Um, I came by for a short visit," Bill lied. He looked directly at Ginny.

"Sorry guys. Can I talk to Bill right now?" Ginny said.

"Yeah… sure," Harry said.

Harry and Hermione gave small smiles before shutting the door behind them.

"Thank goodness you're here," Ginny hugged her big brother, throwing all thoughts of murdering him out the window.

"Anytime, Buttercup," Bill replied with the same amount of enthusiasm. He released Ginny and the two of them sat down. "Now tell me everything that happened, from the beginning."

 **There you have it! Please leave a review if you wish and let me know if you like it, hate it, or have any questions or suggestions. Thanks for reading! :)**

 **-Megan**


	6. The Comfort of Home

**Thank you to those who favorited and followed! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

 **Ch. 5**

Ginny groaned. "The _whole_ thing?"

"Yes, Gin," Bill said. "Everything. Remember, this was my world too."

"Fine," Ginny replied.

She explained the story of the past couple of days spend in the alternate universe and everyone she met. He listened patiently with an unreadable expression until Ginny mentioned her encounter with the loviatar.

"You what?" His face instantly darkened. "Do you realize how dangerous they are?"

"I do now." Ginny showed him the large scar on her leg from the burn.

He wrapped his arms around his younger sister. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Bill?" Ginny started, the question from earlier re-emerging in her mind. "What happens if you… er, die in the alternate universe?"

Bill frowned. "That I don't know. And I don't think we should risk finding out."

"I wasn't planning on it."

Ginny was so caught up in her own story that she didn't even think to ask about Bill's experiences in that world.

"What happened when you went to the alternate universe? Were you royalty there?" Ginny already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from him.

"No," Bill started. "No, I wasn't part of the royal family. I was a soldier. It was scary at first- I didn't know how to fight. But soon I was trained and I really began to enjoy it there."

It was now Ginny's turn to listen.

"That's why I liked going there so much. It was a place I could just escape the worries of reality and become someone else. I could be a hero. The only downside is that it's pretty impossible to negotiate with those 'alternate you's'."

"'Alternate you's'?"

"It's the name I came up for the people in that world. The alternate versions of the people in your life."

Ginny nodded, making a note to use that creative phrase.

"Yeah, well the soldiers didn't like how I kept disappearing," Bill said. "They didn't know what was going on, and I was repeatedly getting questioned out there. I had no idea what they would do if they found out about our world, so I didn't tell them."

"What would you tell them when they asked where you were?" Ginny knew this information could prove to be useful.

"I would just say, 'a soldier's duty'," he smiled.

"Oh, come on," Ginny giggled. "You know I can't use that."

"A princess's duty?" he suggested.

"What duty besides staying in the castle?" Ginny rolled her eyes. "Besides, Dad would kill me if I told him that."

"Ah, yes, King Aidan," Bill said. "Can you imagine our real father being a king?"

"I'd feel so sorry for his kingdom!" Ginny and Bill laughed. It felt good to take the situation lightly for a change.

"But I've always admired his persistence. He kept trying to weasel information out of me when I wouldn't tell anyone where I was going."

"Really?" Ginny laughed. "Did you tell him the same thing?"

"Don't be ridiculous! I couldn't speak that way to a king!"

"Then what did you tell him?"

"I would just make things up. Sometimes I'd say that I was hiding out in the forest to spy on the loviatar to see if I could find a way to defeat them. Things like that."

"I see… Haydn did tell me about a soldier that ventured over to 'the other side'."

"Oh, is that what they call it now?"

Ginny nodded.

"It's mysterious… I like it," Bill said.

"I made him promise not to tell King Arthur that I was there, though."

"Wow, I'm impressed. It can be really hard to convince Haydn about something."

"You knew him well?"

"Yeah, his brother and I were great friends."

"Oh," Ginny said lamely. She didn't know how to react, knowing his brother was dead. She wondered if Bill knew.

"You know he's-"

Bill put a hand up. "But he didn't die worthless. He was very valiant."

"Yes, Haydn was telling me-"

"Hold up," Bill said abruptly. He put a finger to his lips, stood, and quietly advanced toward the door. Before Ginny could figure out what he was doing, Bill wrenched open the door. Ginny caught a glimpse of ears resting on the floor at the base of her door.

"Have you boys ever heard of privacy?" Bill called to who Ginny was assuming were Fred and George.

"Oh, hey Bill!"

"Billy boy, how's it going?"

"You're changing the subject," Bill crossed his arms. Ginny made her way to the door to view the scene.

"Are we? I thought we were just greeting our dear brother who didn't bother seeing us."

"Right we are! There's no need to accuse us."

Ginny saw the twins with their matching mischievous grins, and they caught notice of their little sister.

"Oi, Fred! Since we're here. Didn't you hear Ginny talking about a boy?" George smirked.

"That I did, George. Could she be hiding a secret boyfriend from us?"

They feigned hurt looks before continuing.

"I think we ought to tell Harry about this…"

"He'll need to know Ginny's not interested in him anymore. What is this new boy's name… Haydn?"

Ginny couldn't believe the nerve of those two. She should be used to it by now, but she was still extremely frustrated with them. Before she could retort, Bill put a hand on her shoulder and took the floor.

"I don't know if my little brothers have learned by now that they should hold their tongues," Bill smirked as he swiftly pulled out his wand and cast an engorgement charm on them. The twins' tongues swelled up to the size of their fists and they looked ridiculous. Ginny laughed as they looked at each other in amazement.

"You look hideouth!" Fred lisped.

"You look ethen worth!" George retorted.

"You methed with the wong people," Fred turned to Bill.

"Yeah, you'll pay thor thith!"

"I'm sorry, I can't understand. Can you speak clearly?" Bill joked.

"BOYS! Get Ginny and come downstairs for supper," Molly yelled upstairs.

"Coming Mum!" Ginny called, laughing at her brothers struggling to speak. She turned and thanked Bill. At least now they won't be telling everyone the lies they came up with.

The twins tried to conceal their huge tongues as they made their way downstairs. Ginny knew they didn't care about looking that way, but explaining that their brother cursed them would have seriously damaged their pride. Not to mention their mother would probably believe that Bill did it for good reason and punish the boys further.

"Bill?" Molly gasped as the four reached the kitchen. "When did you get here?"

"Just a little while ago. I'll only be staying for dinner."

"Ah, I see," Molly smiled and hugged her son. "Boys, what's wrong with you?"

Fred and George gave up trying to use their hands to cover their mouths and smiled rather pathetically at everyone.

"Oh, nothing," George said.

"Thust thoking around!" Fred added.

Molly turned to bring the food to the table, muttering something that sounded very much like "Where did I go wrong?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were already sitting at the table, busted up in a round of laughter.

"Oh, thut up!" the twins groaned and took their seats.

"Someone had to teach them a lesson," Bill puffed up with pride.

Ginny's eyes instinctively found Harry and she noticed him smiling and shaking his head. He obviously knew she had something to do with this. She returned the smile genuinely. Harry rarely laughed these days and it truly warmed Ginny when she saw him enjoying himself.

George nudged Fred when he noticed the interaction between his younger sister and Harry. Ginny shot him a look that warned him to not say another word or else he'd get much more than just the swollen tongue. But, being the mischievous twins, they didn't care.

"Thinny's got a boythend!" Fred attemped a sing-song voice.

"Yeah, we hood huh thalking about him," George helped.

Everyone's eyes, except Bill's, went to Ginny. Bill glared at them, warningly.

"What are you talking about?" Ron narrowed his eyes.

"A boythend!" Fred said with an air of exasperation. Clearly, he was annoyed at his tongue being in the way of spreading his story.

"A boyfriend?" Hermione raised her eyebrow.

"They're lying," Ginny shook her head. "Would you really believe what the twins say?"

"I don't know Ginny," Ron started. "I mean, you did date Michael Corner without telling us right away."

"She doesn't have a boyfriend," Bill intervened. "Just believe her."

Ginny looked at her eldest brother gratefully. Ron let out an audible breath.

"Well, that's a relief."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ginny lowered her eyebrows.

"I don't have to worry about keeping an eye on him, that's all," Ron said.

Ginny took a breath. "Ron, you're not my guardian! You don't need to interfere with my personal life!"

"Well, you need _someone_ to look after you. All of us feel the same way."

"What about me?" Ginny yelled. "Don't any of you trust me enough to make my own decisions?"

"We all love you, Ginny. That's all," Bill said. "Ron here just has a different way of showing it."

Bill and Ron stared at each other, and no one could tell if it was out of irritation or understanding. Before anyone could read into it too much, Arthur and Molly entered while levitating the food onto the table.

"All right," Molly smiled, oblivious to the previous commotion. "Now since we never really got to celebrate Ginny's birthday, why don't we do that tonight?"

"I think that's a great idea," Hermione said, appreciative of a new conversation.

The twins babbled some response, and Arthur simply looked at them in amazement.

"And what happened to you? Trying a new look?"

Everyone broke into another fit of laughter, easing the tension that still lingered from only moments ago. The food gently landed on the table and Molly took her seat beside her husband.

"All right, someone set the boys back to normal," she insisted.

"Oh, but they're so much more bearable this way!" Bill whined. Molly gave him a look while trying to refrain from smiling in agreement. Bill rolled his eyes and performed the counter curse.

"Gee, thanks Billy Boy!" Fred laughed.

"Oh, be quiet," Bill said.

The lids on the dishes disappeared and everyone dug into the feast excitedly. Ginny found herself staring at her plate or talking with Bill since whenever she made eye contact with the twins they would give her weird looks or nod toward Harry. Everyone was caught up in side conversations, giving Ginny a chance to thank her brother for coming to her aid.

"Thank you again, Bill," Ginny said. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Yeah, your big brother will always have your back," Bill smiled.

As the chatter died down, Molly announced dessert.

"I've made Ginny's favorite… chocolate marble cream cheese pie!"

A chorus of ' _Ooh_ 's and exclamations of delight were exchanged as Molly left and Arthur stood and waved his wand over the surface of the table, clearing everything that was previously occupying its space.

The delicious-looking treat was placed in front of Ginny and Molly ignited the end of her wand to light the candles. The candles decided to dance along to the "Happy Birthday" song, but were thrown off by Fred and George's own rendition. After blowing out the candles (which ran all over the pie's surface, trying to escape) Hermione handed Ginny a pie cutter to slice the piece she wanted.

"It's a tradition my parents always did with me," Hermione smiled.

Ginny thought she just wanted to carry this tradition on in the Weasley household, but was suspicious that she secretly just wanted to see her try to figure out how to do this. It seemed fairly simple, but Ginny had never had to use a pie cutter before and therefore tried slicing it in a very unconventional way.

Harry and Hermione tried not to laugh (both being familiar with the way this was supposed to be done), but to no avail. They enjoyed watching Ginny struggle as the twins complained that it was taking too long and begged their mother to allow them to cut it using magic.

"Harry, be a dear and show Ginny how to do it," Molly said.

Harry made his way over to Ginny while calming himself from the humorous situation. Ginny tried to pull her hand away from the pie cutter, but before she could Harry put his hand over hers. Ginny felt her cheeks grow warm as his hand guided hers to cut the pie.

Inwardly, Ginny tried convincing herself that this was simply a friendly gesture, but really hoped it was something more.

Judging from the looks she was receiving from the twins and Bill, she concluded that it was more than just a friendly gesture. Ginny focused on Bill's knowing expression and she grinned ever so slightly back to him.

After the pie was completely cut, Harry gave Ginny a smile and headed back to his seat next to Ron, who looked surprised and slightly appalled by his best friend's gesture toward his little sister. Harry pretended not to notice it and casually started into his piece of pie. Hermione looked between Harry and Ginny with a smile playing across her lips. Ginny's blush reddened even more that her family had all witnessed the moment she and Harry shared and were making such a big deal out of it. Fred cleared his throat loudly and everyone stopped making Ginny feel so awkward and began eating their dessert.

"This pie is delicious, Mother," Bill said.

"Yes, it's delightful," Hermione agreed.

The pie was gone within minutes and Arthur waved his wand once more to clear the dishes and reveal Ginny's gifts.

The twins looked at each other with a look that made Ginny feel uneasy. She wondered which gift was theirs so that she could avoid it at all costs, but it was difficult to tell when they all were wrapped similarly.

Ginny opened new dress robes from her parents that looked shockingly like the purple dress she wore for the dinner party in the alternate universe. Ginny shook herself out of her thoughts and thanked her parents. It was just a coincidence.

As she reached for another, Fred and George perked up. Ginny cautiously opened the package to reveal several small perfume bottles without labels. She looked at the twins questioningly.

"You know, not everything we give you is abnormal," George tutted.

"Yeah, can't we give you something nice from the kindness of our hearts?" Fred said dramatically.

Ginny raised her eyebrow. "Since when have you ever done something like that?"

Everyone laughed in agreement and Ginny set the gift aside to open another. She picked up a smaller package, but Bill reached out his hand to stop her.

"Save mine for later," he smiled.

"Oh, come now Bill. We want to know what you got for Ginny!" Molly said eagerly.

"Sorry, it's a secret," he winked.

Instead, Ginny opened a charming stone on a silver chain from Charlie. After reading the letter, she learned that the stone was really part of an Antipodean Opaleye dragon's scale, which they shed a few of from time to time. These dragons are known to be very beautiful and peaceful. Charlie said that there are many of these that he's been able to work with. It was such a special gift to Ginny.

When Ginny announced that Percy sent a card, the room grew awkwardly silent. No one knew what to say about that and were surprised that he even sent anything to them. The message was very long and Ginny set it aside to read in detail later.

Then she moved on to Hermione's gift. She was correct in guessing that it was a book, but it seemed different than the others she had given her over the years. The front read 'the Joys of Life.' Ginny opened the cover and saw a bunch of white pages with a clear covering over them.

"It's a photo album!" Hermione said. "You can store your favorite pictures in there to keep them in one place."

"Wow," Ginny said. "Thank you!"

She opened Ron's present which contained sugar quills.

"Ooh, I was running low on these," she said enthusiastically. "Thanks, Ron!"

The last box (besides Bill's) was small, like the one Charlie sent. Ginny knew this one was from Harry and was excited to open it. She unwrapped a shiny, silver charm bracelet. It was very elegant with various figures on it, including a mug, a broom, a snitch, a moon, and a star. It defined Ginny perfectly with her love of hot drinks on cold nights, quidditch, and astronomy.

"It's custom made," Harry added.

"Harry, it's beautiful. But you really shouldn't have."

"None of that," he said firmly. "I want you to have it."

"Thank you," she smiled at him.

"And a very happy birthday to you Ginny!" Arthur said, breaking up the party. "I'd best be off to bed. The ministry is making us work earlier now with everything that's going on."

Everyone wished him a good night as they made their way up from the table.

"Here, Gin. I'll help you with your gifts," Bill offered. As soon as the two of them were safely in her room, Bill handed her his gift.

"I didn't want anyone questioning it, but I thought this would come in handy."

Ginny took it curiously and gently opened it. There was a small mirror about the size of her palm.

"Thanks…" she started.

"You don't know what it does," Bill said. "It shows you what's happening in the real world wherever you are in the alternate universe."

"Why don't I see anything?"

"You have to talk to it."

"Talk to it?"

Bill stood next to his sister.

"Show me the Burrow," he ordered. The mirror's surface swirled and formed a picture. Ginny could see the kitchen where Fred and George were throwing extra pie at each other. Bill shook the mirror and the image changed to show the living room, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were laughing about something. He shook it once more and she could see herself and Bill looking down into a miniature mirror.

"Wow," Ginny said, amazed.

"Just tell it where you want to look, and it will show you everything that's going on in the present. So let's just say you were in an alternate universe, and you needed to know if your family was worrying or what they were up to… All you'd need to do is pull out this mirror from your pocket."

"Thank you, Bill!" Ginny engulfed him in a hug.

"Of course, Buttercup. I said I'd help you out, didn't I?"

Ginny smiled.

"I must be getting back home now. But don't hesitate to let me know what happens. Okay?"

"Okay."

With that, her older brother disapparated.

* * *

 **If you liked it, please leave a review! Also if you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to PM me.**

 **Thanks! :)**

 **-Megan**


	7. Things Never Said

**Hello! Sorry for the wait... To make up for my lack of uploading, here is a nice, long chapter for you! Please let me know what you think, and, more importantly, enjoy! :)**

* * *

 **Ch. 6**

After Bill left and all of the happenings from the past couple of days had run their courses, Ginny just wanted some time to herself. At this point, all of her brothers were usually off doing their own things and let Ginny have the kitchen to sit down with her nightly cup of hot chocolate. It was one of those drinks that brought back memories. It particularly reminded her of her father, since he had been the one to introduce the family to the delicious beverage. But more importantly it reminded Ginny of the more simple times of her life when the only thing she ever worried about was which stuffed animal she would sleep with and which brother she wanted to tuck her in at bedtime.

As Ginny walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, she noticed her mother sitting at the table with the Daily Prophet. It was strange to Ginny because she knew her mother never liked reading the paper. She claimed that the stories made her depressed (although she would eventually end up hearing them from her husband).

"Hey, Mum," Ginny said.

She looked up and removed her glasses. After setting down the paper, she fidgeted with her hands for a moment before speaking.

"Ginny, I want to apologize for the way I treated you earlier."

Ginny respectfully sat in the chair across from Molly at the table.

"It was extreme and I'm sorry for flying off the handle. I was just so worried-"

"No, Mom, it's completely natural," Ginny interrupted, knowing her mom was one to carry on unnecessarily after she had initially made her point. "You had every right to act the way you did. It was irresponsible for me to wonder off like that, and I'm sorry. I really am."

Molly looked at her daughter with an overwhelming amount of care evident in her eyes.

"I suppose you still don't want to tell me where you were the past couple of days…?" she prodded.

 _Great. This was the hard part._ Ginny felt entitled to telling her mother where she went because she deserves that trust and respect. At the same time, Ginny knew that if she told her mother, she would never let her go back.

"Bill knows. It's nothing to worry about, but I want to keep it a secret."

Even she knew her response was lame and she felt bad about lying once again. Molly gave Ginny her infamous look of disappointment, and the latter shrunk in her chair a little.

"Well, I guess there's no way for me to change your mind, she said, defeated. Molly picked up the paper and headed toward the stairs.

"Mom," Ginny stopped her. "Please don't be upset. I promise I'm not getting into anything I shouldn't be. It's just… complicated."

Molly paused and thought about her daughter's words for a moment before she forced a smile. "Good night, dear."

"Night, Mum." Ginny didn't feel good. She really hated being so secretive about major happenings, especially when her mother was so worried about her. Ginny attempted to shake off her guilt by humming as she stood and set the kettle on their stove to heat water the muggle way. She made to grab the hot chocolate mix, and then stood on her toes to reach her favorite snowflake mug from the cupboard when she felt something brush past her. This caused Ginny to squeak and nearly dropped her mug. Luckily her reflexes were tuned in and she was able to grab it just before it hit the ground.

"Nice catch," the culprit said.

"That's my favorite mug, you know. If you made me drop that you'd never hear the end of it," Ginny turned around to look at him.

Harry gave her a sheepish grin and reached for the cupboard on the other side of her. Ginny smiled to herself and proceeded to pour the mix into her mug. After shaking the last bits out of the packet, she reached for the lid of the trash bin to dispose of it. Harry happened to reach for the lid just as she did and his hand slid on top of hers. She looked up into his eyes questioningly.

"Wow, you're really in my way tonight, aren't you?" she smirked.

"I could say the same about you," he retorted.

Still keeping his hand on top of hers, he lifted the edge on the trash bin and they both threw away their scraps. At that moment the tea kettle whistled, waking Ginny from her brief reverie.

"Well, this is cozy and all, but I should really turn the stove off," Ginny made way to move and Harry blushed while taking his hand back.

She poured the hot water into her mug, pretending she didn't realize Harry was still staring at her. But he was, and she felt a rush of emotions. She couldn't help thinking that it could potentially mean something more than what they called themselves. Were they friends? Of course they were… Ginny soon felt her cheeks beginning to grow warm, but blamed it on the steam from her hot cocoa. As much as she wanted to believe it, she didn't want to ruin any friendship they had. So she made up her mind to take her drink upstairs tonight.

"Well, I'm going to bed," she announced as she strode past him without looking at him.

"Ginny," he said, causing her to turn around. "I'm glad you're home."

She instinctively smiled at the comment. "Thanks. I am too."

Ginny continued to think about Harry as she ventured up the stairs and into her room. As she opened the door, a voice nearly gave her a heart attack. She had almost forgotten that Hermione was staying in her room.

"Hey," Hermione grinned. "What are you all smiley about?"

"Hermione, don't scare me like that!" Ginny exhaled and leaned against the doorframe.

"Don't avoid my question," Hermione approached her friend with a knowing look. "What's got you so happy?"

"Nothing… I do love just sipping my hot cocoa and sitting in my room."

"You can't fool me. I know that's not good enough a reason."

Ginny decided to ignore that comment and take a nice, long sip of her drink.

"Ginny!" Hermione whined. "Come on, you're leaving me in suspense."

"Hermione, do I have to tell you every single thing about my life?" Ginny complained.

"Yes," the older girl crossed her arms. "You're one of my best friends. It's code."

"It's late, Hermione. We really should be getting to bed."

"Ginevra Molly Weasley!" she shouted. "You either tell me, or I'll make sure your brothers know all about your photo collection of Harry from your first year… and second… and third…"

"You wouldn't!" Ginny gasped. The only two people who knew about Ginny's collection were Hermione and Colin, seeing as he was the one who provided her with all those pictures. She was rather embarrassed by that collection (and in her defense it didn't go on after her third year) but, then again, she never got rid of it.

"Fine, Hermione," Ginny caved. "I was talking to Harry downstairs-"

Hermione had a victorious look on her face. "What happened to giving him a break?"

"Well, I tried, but that's easier said than done, Hermione."

"Oh, I knew it!" she smiled.

"Wait," Ginny frowned. "I'm not being obvious about it, am I?"

"Relax, Ginny. I only know because we're so close and I can tell these things about my friends."

Ginny gave up being hurt and got an idea. "So, if you can really 'tell these things' then do you know how Harry feels?"

"Well, I'm not sure yet, but I think he's seeing you in a new light," Hermione smiled. "But don't expect him to do anything about it too soon. He's still overwhelmed with everything else going on and he'll somehow convince himself that he'd only drag you into danger by doing anything about his possible feelings."

"Of course," Ginny rolled her eyes. "That hero thinks about everyone else before himself."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Hermione laughed, agreeing nevertheless.

Ginny didn't want to talk about it anymore. She told Hermione that it was time to go to sleep and feeling a mixture of happiness and confusion, she sipped the last of her hot chocolate before slipping under her covers for the night.

* * *

"Ginny… Gin, wake up."

The girl groaned and pulled her blanket over her head.

"Ginny," Ron said as his footsteps sounded on her creaky wooden floor. "Come on, it's already twelve o'clock."

"Shh, I'm sleeping," she tried.

"If you don't get up, I can always send in Fred and George-"

Ginny shot up in a sitting position.

"Fine, I'm up!" Ron smirked and his sister threw her pillow at him. He only laughed, turning out of the room.

"Oh, and by the way," Ron poked his head back into her room. "The rest of us are going to go play quidditch again after lunch."

Ginny thought of this as being a perfect time to sneak back into the alternate universe.

"I think I'll just start making my list of things to pack for Hogwarts."

"And miss out on a game of quidditch? Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Ron shook his head. "Meet us downstairs in ten minutes."

After Ron left, Ginny slowly made her way to get dressed as her mind continued to wonder on the subject of the alternate world. It seemed to her that the more time that passed, the more it seemed like it was all a dream, and the more she doubted its existence. But she knew that in order to ease her mind, she would have to go back.

She got all ready and joined the others for lunch.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," George smirked.

"What did you do this time?" Ginny narrowed her eyes at the twins.

"What?" Did you hear that, Fred? Our own sister doesn't trust us!"

"Oi, Gin. That hurts. Deep down," Fred faked tears.

She rolled her eyes and sat down at her usual place at the table. After a lunch full of small talk, Ron stood up and announced that they would be playing quidditch in the backyard, followed by whoops from Fred and George.

"Come on, Ginny," Harry said when he noticed that she hadn't gotten up from the table.

"No, you guys go ahead. I want to start getting my things ready to go back to school."

"School? We don't leave for another few weeks!"

"But I don't want to wait for the last minute…"

"That's smart, Ginny," Hermione intervened. "I'll come with you."

"No," Ginny said a little too harshly. "I mean… Don't you want to get some fresh air and read a book or something?"

Hermione slightly frowned at the girl for a second before snatching up her book from the table and walking outside. Ginny inwardly groaned. Now Hermione was upset with her. Harry took one more look and opened his mouth to say something, but admitted defeat and followed everyone else outside.

Ginny wished Bill was there again. He would know how to handle it. Ginny made her way back to her room, trying to brainstorm ways to justify her absence in the real world if she was to go back. She avoided the responsibility for the time being, convincing herself that she would have enough time to think up an excuse while in the alternate universe. She pocketed the mirror Bill gave her and took the side path into the forest to avoid the others. The was cautious to not attract any attention, but was concerned that Hermione might have seen something by the way she looked up from her book and glanced toward Ginny's direction. Ginny could only hope that the bushes were thick enough to conceal herself. Hermione shortly returned her gaze to the pages.

The walk into the Chernobog seemed a lot shorter not being dragged through it like the first time. When she reached the palace gates, Holly approached her eagerly.

"Gina!" she shouted. "You must help. Your brother is being smothered by Princess Lacey, and cannot seem to get away."

Ginny laughed, not expecting to hear that. She assumed that Holly didn't question Ginny's absence simply because she had asked her not to. Ginny inwardly wished that everyone could obey her requests like Holly did.

"Maybe you can convince her. Follow me," Holly spun on her heel and led the way to the castle.

Before long, the two of them had entered the ballroom that the party was held in the other night. The decor was back to normal with several fancy-looking couches and tables, along with the thrones on the platform in the front of the room. Ginny was shocked. Her father was sitting with none other than Lucius Malfoy. To make matters worse, they were actually having a decent conversation. The image was too much for Ginny to handle as her hatred toward Lucius started to boil inside of her.

She turned to where Holly was motioning to see her brother with someone not much better than the Malfoys. It was Lavender Brown. Ginny groaned, wishing it was practically anyone else. But what could she do about it? If this was Princess Lacey, the best Ginny could do would be to convince her dad that his set-up was not working out.

The two of them were just as disturbing to look at as they were when they were together in the real world. Lacey was giggling uncontrollably, staring into his eyes- or trying to at least. Rylan had a scowl on his face, trying to scoot over on the couch as much as he possibly could. How much clearer could he be? Ginny wanted to laugh because of her obliviousness to the situation, but it was too disgusting to laugh at.

As soon as Rylan saw his sister, his expression turned into one of pleading for help.

"Hey, Rylan!" Ginny pretended to be looking for him. Lacey's head shot in her direction and she gave her a look half of confusion and half of disgust.

"Malia needs you in the kitchen," Ginny made up.

"What ever is she thinking, talking to a prince in that tone?" Lacey turned toward Rylan again. "I would never dream of blaring at you in such a way."

"I'd hardly call that blaring," Ginny spat. "Come on, Rylan. Malia's waiting."

He made to get up and Lacey hesitantly let him free. She crossed her arms in such an un-princess-like manner and pouted. Rylan practically ran out of the ballroom and the door gently closed behind him. Ginny turned to Holly.

"So, do you want to go find Malia and see what she's up to?"

"I thought you said she was in the kitchen," Lacey butted in.

"Yes…" Ginny replied lamely. "Holly, do you want to go to the _kitchen_ and see what she's up to?"

"Most definitely," Holly said, her discomfort evident. They took only a few steps before Lacey piped up again.

"Pardon me," she said. "I believe you have forgotten to invite me along."

Ginny gave Holly another look that read 'Is she serious right now?'

"She is aware of your negative feelings toward her," Holly whispered so only I could hear. "She is simply trying to bait you so she can alert her father of your unkindness."

"Good," Ginny smiled. "Then she wouldn't be too appalled to hear me say this."

She turned around to Lacey and said, "No, that was on purpose. I don't want you to come with us, you cow."

Lacey gasped in the most dramatic way possible. It was even more dramatic than the real Lavender, and Ginny didn't think that was possible. Before she could say or do anything else, Ginny grabbed Holly by the arm and lead the way out of the room.

"That was ever so rude of you," Holly tried scolding her friend, but ended up laughing. "Nonetheless, I have always desired to see her get what she deserves."

"Why thank you," Ginny bowed very theatrically. "Now let's go find Malia."

As the two girls turned the corner into the kitchen, Ginny smiled cheerily.

"Good morning, Malia!"

"Ah, good morning! Or is it noontime yet?" she knitted her brows for a moment before shaking her head. "I can never keep time properly with so many tasks."

"Would you like help with anything?" Ginny offered, desperate to keep her successful streak of no questions about her absence.

"As a matter of fact, the fabrics for yours and your brother's new dress clothes have arrived just a few hours ago, and I would be very grateful if someone would take them down to Madam Mariel's Tailor Shop."

"New dress clothes?" Ginny asked.

"Yes. Your father purchased material for formal clothing, but he did not mention an occasion if that is what you are wondering about."

"Gina and I would be pleased to deliver them for you," Holly said.

"Marvelous!" Malia wiped her hands on her apron and led the way to the boxes. "You may take the carriage. Allegra should do for the outing."

Ginny saw Holly nod in understanding, and made a note to follow her lead. She still didn't know what everything was in this world, but Holly did.

"I will summon Donovan to transport the fabrics into the carriage. Gina and Holly," her tone became very serious. "I am expecting complete responsibility from the both of you. Your father would never approve of sending you two out by yourselves, but I trust that if anything were to go wrong you would turn the carriage around and come home immediately. Am I correct?"

"Yes, Malia," the two girls said.

"Wonderful," she smiled once again. "Go put on your cloaks and head to the carriage. I will call for Donovan."

Ginny followed Holly to the entryway where their summer cloaks were hanging near the door. After fastening them over their own clothes they made their way into the courtyard.

"Perhaps you can bring back Allegra and I will assist Donovan with the fabric," Holly suggested.

"Um…" Ginny had no idea who or what Allegra was, but Holly wouldn't understand that. She had been picking up on the recent things that the princess had missed or 'didn't remember', but hadn't openly confronted her about it… Not yet anyway.

"That's alright. I'll help them out," Ginny said with a smile.

"It is no problem, really. I know how much you love Allegra," she persisted.

"...I think I'll let you have a turn."

"Gina-" Holly said more seriously. Before she could say anything else, Ginny grabbed one of the boxes that Donovan was hauling out to the carriage.

Giving her eyes a slight roll in defeat, Holly walked around the corner and out of sight.

"Princess, allow me," Donovan tried taking the box back into his arms with the others.

"Not at all," Ginny said. "I can handle this."

"If you insist," Donovan smiled.

Ginny followed his lead as they loaded up the back of the carriage. It was a stagecoach with an open satin-clad rider's seat and a closed space in the back, big enough for a couple passengers or luggage. It had the kingdom's crest on the side opposite the door with elegant letters that spelled out _'Nightfall Royalty'_. It made Ginny feel even more official riding in a carriage like it. She climbed onto the rider's bench, ready to go.

Holly appeared again, holding horse reins in her left hand and a carrot in the other that she was using to lure the horse in the correct direction. Ginny made the connection that the beautiful horse was Allegra. She was a stunning black horse with a white diamond on her forehead. She was a real beauty.

With Donovan's help, Holly hooked up the horse to the carriage and tossed the reins up to Ginny. As soon as Holly was seated next to Ginny, the latter handed the reins over, earning a raised eyebrow from the former.

"What?" Ginny asked genuinely.

"You have been acting quite strange lately," she started. "I have tried to ignore your out-of-the-ordinary actions, but it has been happening far too long for me to overlook it any further."

Ginny didn't know what she could say. For a moment, she contemplated telling her the truth, but quickly shook that dangerous thought out of her head.

Holly continued. "One subject you have always been passionate about is your horse. You never let anyone else even touch her. Why has that changed?" She waited for an answer.

"It's… complicated," Ginny sighed.

"We are the best of friends, Gina. You can tell me whatever you please and I will never think of you differently."

Ginny looked into the older girl's eyes and found real concern in them. She turned away and jerked her hands up and then quickly downward, startling both the horse and her friend.

Holly shook her head and stuck with staring straight ahead of her. Ginny felt terrible about not telling her the truth. She had been accustomed to this particular feeling in the pit of her stomach as it had emerged several times in the last few days.

Ginny was temporarily caught in her thoughts until they approached a small but busy village with people crowding the streets. They stopped and pointed as the carriage made its way closer to the bustling place, and little children ran to get a closer look. One little girl jumped up and down, grasping her mother's hand.

"Look, Mommy! The princess is coming!"

"Princess Regina!" other townspeople shouted, waving at Ginny.

Ginny was caught off guard. She was so used to things at the palace, where she was among equals (for the most part). Being around these townspeople felt more real, more of what she was used to in the real world. Ginny didn't know why, but it touched her heart.

After passing by a few crowded shops, the girls arrived at a picturesque shop with the name 'Madam Mariel's Tailoring Shoppe' decorating the fine wood above the door. Holly hopped down from the carriage, and Ginny followed suit. Holly grabbed a carrot from her bag that she left in her seat and tossed it to Ginny with a slight smile. Ginny took it as a peace offering for the time being, which she thought was very smart of Holly. They didn't need to be fighting out in public and worrying the other residents of the kingdom. Allegra ate the carrot greedily.

"Good girl!" Ginny laughed, patting the diamond mark on her nose. "We'll be right back."

The bell above the shop's door chimed as they stepped inside.

"Hello, dear! How may I be of service to you?" a voice called automatically from the back of the quaint building.

"Woah…" another voice murmured, closer than the previous one.

Ginny turned and saw Dean Thomas's look-alike staring at them in surprise.

"I cannot believe my good fortune! It is Princess Regina and her friend Holly," he said to himself, then bowed. "My ladies."

The two girls looked at each other, charmed.

"Very pleased to meet you," Ginny said.

"The pleasure is mine," he reached out and grabbed her hand, gently kissing it. Ginny blushed as he did the same to Holly.

"Dimitri," the lady's voice sounded again. "Was it you who rang the bell?"

"No, ma'am," he called. "Princess Regina and her friend have stopped by."

"Oh, how lovely!" she turned the corner, revealing the smiling visage of Professor McGonagall. "I was expecting someone right about now."

"Madam Mariel, we have the material-" Holly started.

"Explain no more, Holly dear. I will appoint Dimitri to bring in the material. Have you introduced yourself, Dimitri?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"I wish I had the time to stay and converse with you lovely ladies, but I'm afraid I must return to my tailoring if I hope to complete everything in time," she said, disappearing to the back once more. "Twenty gowns and just three days to finish…"

"Wow, it sounds like she has her hands full," Ginny commented, earning a nod from Dimitri.

"King Lothar requested for certain gowns to be prepared for the memorial gathering for the Lost Soldier in three days' time."

"A memorial gathering?" Holly questioned. "There is no such event. Nightfall's tradition has always been to plant flowers at his statue on the day he disappeared."

"It seems as though Edowyn kingdom is attempting to alter that," he said with a grumble.

"Why? It does not do our beloved Lost Soldier any justice! A memorial 'gathering'," Holly scoffed. "It would be more correct to title it 'Our Unpromising Excuse for a Party'. What do they have to do with our Lost Soldier anyway?"

Dimitri shrugged.

"Dimitri! The boxes if you please!" Madam Mariel shouted.

"Yes, ma'am!" he repeated, making his way to the carriage. Holly and Ginny followed him out the door.

"Tell us about yourself, Dimitri," Ginny said, genuinely interested in the life of a townsperson after being around the palace so much.

"I will not bore you with insignificant details," he replied.

"You are not insignificant!" Ginny sounded like she was scolding him. "Now tell me. Unless you plan on upsetting the princess…"

"Very well!" he put his hands up in mock surrender, and Holly giggled.

"If you must know, I come from a family of ten. My mother is a seamstress- she works for Madam Mariel, you see- and my father is a blacksmith. Needless to mention, those are not very promising professions. Therefore, I, being the eldest, do my best to earn the remainder of the money to keep my family fed and taken care of."

"That's why you work here?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," he said. "And the hour the shop here closes, I go to the heart of the village and locate as many odd tasks possible to support my family in any way I am able. Occasionally if I help cart-sellers, they allow me to take home a minute portion of the products they were not able to trade in that day. In those cases, I am permitted to bring home a treat to my siblings. They adore fresh fruit and minimally stale bread."

Ginny looked to Holly to see if Dimitri was pulling their legs. She simply stood there, eyes sad. Ginny couldn't believe that there were people there who live such rough lives while she is given pretty much everything she wants. She felt guilty and said nothing more as Dimitri continued to unload the boxes from the carriage. He stacked three on top of each other and carried them without trouble into the shop.

"Where would you prefer I situate the fabrics?" he called to Madam Mariel.

"Simply in the corner, if you might," she responded. "I am very grateful for your assistance, Dimitri. You may depart early tonight."

"Thank you, ma'am!" he said happily.

"I apologize deeply, but I am unable to reward you your earnings this day. I am conflicted with numerous tasks and am incapable of acquiring my usual pay until these dresses are completed."

Dimitri looked at his feet.

"S'all right ma'am."

Ginny felt a pang in her chest. Being from a not so well-off family (although not as unfortunate as these people), she understood his need for money.

"Holly, I'll be right back," Ginny put a hand on her friend's shoulder for a moment, and then ran out the door.

She ran directly to the carriage and pulled open her bag. She knew she had some extra knuts in there somewhere… She rummaged through the contents until she felt the cool change. When she pulled them out, she saw a design of a crown and a Greek inscription on it. Rather than questioning when and how her coins changed, she closed her fist and turned quickly. In the excitement, her elbow knocked her bag to the ground and Ginny heard something shatter. Feeling dread sweeping over her, she looked down at the ground. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the mirror Bill had given her in several pieces. She picked up the biggest piece and tried speaking to it.

"Show me the Burrow!" She ordered.

Nothing.

Ginny shook the mirror repeatedly, hoping it might start working again. No luck. She threw the piece back into her bag and returned it to her seat on the carriage before making her way back into the shop.

"Take these," she shoved the foreign-looking coins into Dimitri's hand.

His eyes widened. "Oh, no, Princess. Please, keep your money. I will find a means to receive enough to feed my family tonight."

He tried handing her back the change, but Ginny wouldn't accept it.

"No, take it," she said. "Believe me, there's plenty more where that came from."

She noticed the disconsolate look on his face and mentally slapped herself.

"I didn't mean-"

"It is alright," he slightly smiled. "I am ever so grateful for your generosity. How may I repay you?"

"No need," she smiled back. "I'm doing it for a friend in need."

"Your friend?" he looked at her hopefully.

"Of course!"

"Gina, we had best be headed home. Malia will begin to worry," Holly reminded her friend.

"Good-den to you, my lady," Dimitri bowed, kissing Ginny's hand.

"Why thank you, kind sir," she playfully curtsied in response.

"And to you," he did the same to Holly.

"I wish you the best, Dimitri," Holly smiled. The girls waved once more as they climbed into the carriage. Once Allegra started moving, Holly turned to Ginny.

"That was a very good deed, Gina," she smiled.

"Thank you. Are there a lot of… _those_ people in Nightfall kingdom?"

"The less-fortunate?" she asked. Ginny nodded. "Quite unfortunately."

"We need to do something about it," Ginny said, determinedly.

"I would be very pleased to assist you in your task."

"Then let's do it! I'm sure my dad won't mind donating money to the villagers."

Holly laughed at Ginny's excitement and they leaned back in content. Ginny's mind flashed back to the events with Dimitri and she remembered her broken mirror. She didn't know if there was any way to fix it, but she did know that her family was likely worrying about her again. She had been in the alternate universe for a couple of hours now and needed to make an excuse to go back.

Ginny sighed. This was proving to be a lot more work than she had thought it would be.

* * *

 **There you go! Please let me know what you think of it. And thank you so much for the favorites and follows! They do mean a lot. :)**

 **-Megan**


	8. Brothers Will Be Brothers

**My internet just got re-connected after being out for several days, so I'm sorry for the wait!**

 **Enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

Ch. 7

 **Back at the Burrow…**

"Ron!" Molly called. "Grab Harry, Hermione, and Ginny and come inside for lunch."

"Coming, Mum!" Ron responded, then turned back to Harry. "Looks like we'll have to have a tie-breaker after lunch."

"You're on," Harry descended to the grass below with Ron just behind him.

"Come on, Hermione," Ron held out a hand to the girl sitting beneath the tree with a book entitled 'Beauty and the Beast.' She reluctantly closed the book and reached for his hand.

"Have any of you seen Ginny?" Harry said.

"No," Ron replied. "She never came to play quidditch…"

"I thought I saw someone over by the trees, but it was probably just a gnome," Hermione said.

"She's probably inside," Ron said, leading the way to the door while Harry and Hermione both wore identical looks of concern. Ginny wouldn't be stupid enough to disappear again… Would she?

As the three walked toward the house in silence, soft footsteps approached behind them. An out-of-breath Ginny was on their tail as they stepped inside.

"Ginny, where were you?" Ron narrowed his eyes protectively at his sister.

"It's none of your business, Ron."

She tried pushing past him to go inside, but he stuck an arm out to block her entrance. Harry and Hermione had continued on inside, not being nearly as worried about her as Ron had clearly been. They knew Ginny was old enough to take care of herself and especially didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of her brilliant bat-bogey hexes.

"Let me inside," Ginny protested.

"Not until you tell me the truth," Ron said.

"Why do you need to know so badly?" she crossed her arms.

"Because you've been acting strangely recently and won't tell anyone anything!"

"Where I go and what I do is none of your business."

"It is if it's putting anyone in danger!" Ron let his inner fear out without realizing.

"What?" she gasped. "Do you honestly think I'd be doing something that would put _any_ of us in danger?"

"You tell me. You've conversed with You-Know-Who before, and didn't tell us one word. It's hard to know when you're being so secretive."

Ginny was shocked that her brother would bring up that terrible incident to her face and tears began to form as her memory flashed back to that horrific year.

"Haven't you heard of trust, Ron?" she said quietly as she forced her brother's arm out of the way and ran inside. Ron immediately regretted saying anything of the sort and rushed inside after her. He was met with looks of confusion on Harry's and Hermione's faces.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked.

"No clue," Ron lied.

* * *

Ginny hated depending on people. Being the youngest and only girl, she had always been determined to show everyone that she could take care of herself. However, in times like this, she knew that she couldn't handle quite _everything_ on her own. She sat down at her desk in her room and pulled out a spare piece of parchment and her quill.

 _Bill,_

 _I could really use some company right now. Someone who understands._

 _-Ginny_

She attached her letter to an overly-excited Pig and sent it off, laying herself down on her bed.

"Ginny?" Molly poked her head inside the room. "Are you alright sweetheart?"

Ginny secretly hoped that Ron didn't say anything to her. If her mother had found out that she had been away again, she'd flip. Especially since she wasn't supposed to even be leaving her room.

"Yeah, I'm just tired."

"Well, dear, I made corned beef for lunch. And your favorite cinnamon swirl bread."

Ginny inwardly groaned in defeat. Her mother makes it so hard to avoid her brothers. A slight smile escaped and Molly hugged her before walking downstairs.

"And the youngest emerges," George announced.

"Must you narrate every time I enter the room?" Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Ahh, you know you love it," he winked.

"Where were you this morning, Gin?" Fred asked. "We wanted to try our newest product."

"She was out-" Ron started.

"Hiding from you," Ginny interrupted. "I think we should eat now, I'm starved!"

Molly narrowed her eyes, and Ginny knew that she wasn't happy.

"Ron, where was Ginny?"

Ron and Ginny made eye contact and she begged her brother not to tell. It looked to her as if he was contemplating what he was going to do for a few moments before replying.

"Nowhere," he said weakly.

"Ginny," she demanded. "Were you out of your room?"

"Can we talk about this later, Mum?" Ginny asked, not wishing to cause yet another row.

"We can't keep going like this! I'm your mother and I have every right to know where you are."

"Mum, please, can we put this off until lunch is over?" she felt her face turning red; from anger or embarrassment, she didn't know.

"No, Ginny!" she said sternly. "Go back to your room. I'll bring up your food in a little bit."

She didn't run. She _refused_ to run. Ginny simply maintained eye contact with her mom until she couldn't anymore, and she was sure she saw a flicker of remorse in her eyes.

Pig was tapping on her window and, after slamming her door, Ginny opened the glass and snatched the letter from the owl's leg.

 _Buttercup,_

 _I wish I could apparate there now, but I have a load of work to complete before I'm off. AS soon as I'm finished, I'll come home. I promise._

 _Chin up, Gin. I love you._

 _-Bill_

Chin up. Ginny used to be so carefree and loving. When did that change? It seemed as though the alternate universe was changing her old self into this problem-attracting ball of anger. At least that's how she felt. Interestingly enough, she felt more like her true self in the alternate world rather than this one… Ginny couldn't let that happen any longer. She thought back and deducted that she was pretty nasty to be around sometimes, and she made a firm amendment to change that.

Ginny let these thoughts carry her into a nice rest.

* * *

"Alright everyone! So you all know why we called you here," George declared.

"We want to know what kind of secret Ginny is hiding," Fred said.

"No wonder she doesn't tell you boys anything," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"And why is that?" George asked.

"You worry too much about her personal life as it is! Maybe you should do the right thing and respect her privacy."

"Privacy? Now why would a sixteen-year-old girl need privacy?" Fred laughed.

"Maybe she's in a secret relationship," George suggested.

"You know, you may be on to something, Georgie," Fred said.

"Woah, hold up," Ron butted in. "Don't you think that's a little extreme? Do you really think Ginny would be able to keep something like that a secret for this long?"

"I don't know, she's pretty good at keeping secrets," Harry commented, reminiscing about the diary incident.

"And how would you know that?" Fred smirked, causing Harry to go red.

"I-" Harry stammered, knowing what they were hinting at.

"Oh my, Freddie!" George said excitedly. "Maybe he's the fellow of our sister's affections!"

"Oh, come off it," Hermione said. "That's ridiculous! Besides, Harry's been with us every time Ginny's gone missing."

"Yeah, that rules out that option," Ron said in a rather relieved-sounding tone.

"I don't know," George replied.

"I wouldn't count that out right away," Fred continued.

"You guys are insane!" Harry exclaimed.

"Are we now, lover boy?" the twins smirked identically.

"Yes, very much so," Hermione said. "Honestly, just give Ginny her space and maybe she'll talk to someone about it on her own."

"Someone should go talk to her," Ron said, ignoring Hermione. "That's the only way to find out for sure."

"Oh, honestly," Hermione put a palm to her head, giving up on reason with this particular group.

"I don't know if we should trust Harry…" George said playfully.

"Yeah, let's send Hermione instead," Fred suggested.

"I'm not going to invade her space, thank you very much."

"I would do it, but I'm probably the one Ginny is the angriest with right now," Ron said. "Besides Mum, that is."

"It's probably not a good idea for either of you two to go either since you'll end up making things even worse than they already are," Hermione said to the twins.

"I guess that just leaves Harry," Ron turned to his best friend, giving him a look reading ' _It's up to you, mate!_ '

Harry nodded. "Fine. I'll talk to her."

He wasted no time in allowing his feet to lead him to Ginny's room, but was inwardly freaking out while thinking about what he was going to say. He knew for sure that he didn't want to make her mad, but he seemed good at doing just that without even trying to. Before he could stop himself, however, his fist had rapped on the door.

There was no answer, and Harry almost had turned around and left, claiming that he tried his best. But he knew he wouldn't get off the hook with everyone else that easily.

"Ginny?" He poked his head inside the room cautiously and was relieved to see that she was sleeping. Her hair was sprawled everywhere, causing Harry to smile at her innocent form. At least it didn't _look_ like she was about to inflict her wrath onto him.

Finding a new air of confidence, Harry took a few steps into the room and closed the door behind him so that he could make sure none of her brothers intervened.

"Ginny," he tried a little louder.

"Have to go back…" the sleeping girl mumbled.

"Are you awake?" he tried.

"Please," she said more clearly. "Let me go back!"

Harry's curiosity getting the better of him, he didn't say anything. He wanted to hear if she would say anything more.

"You don't understand…" she rolled over. "I love him…"

Well, Fred and George must have been right. Ginny must be meeting up with someone. Harry felt his heart rate quicken.

"You love who?"

Even Harry jumped at how loud he had said that last sentence. Ginny woke with a start and hit her head on the wall in the process.

"Ow," she grumbled. "Harry, what are you doing in here?"

"Sorry," he said. "I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Not right this second, I'm not," she rubbed her head to emphasize her point.

"Sorry," Harry repeated lamely and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Don't worry about it," she straightened up and sat next to him.

"So, what's really going on?" Harry boldened and looked straight into her eyes.

"Nothing," she held the eye contact and began to blush.

"Ginny," he said more forwardly.

"Really, Harry. It's nothing to get upset over."

"No, but it's something causing _you_ to get upset over."

She flinched at the reality of his words, breaking the eye contact and sighing.

"I know it's troubling you," he scooted closer to make her realize that he was there and not going anywhere. "I'm here to listen. I won't tell anyone else what you tell me if you don't want me to."

Ginny looked up hopefully and opened and closed her mouth multiple times before groaning and shaking her head.

"It's just so complicated!"

Harry stretched out his arm to her shoulder, but pulled it back, second-guessing his move. What had caused him to do that? Luckily the girl didn't notice his awkward pause and Harry decided against the gesture.

"It sounds like you need to talk about it," he urged.

An awkward silence filled the air and Harry held his breath, hoping that Ginny would come through and finally tell someone what was happening.

"Do you promise not to tell _anyone_?" she said sternly.

"Absolutely."

"And no matter how much they try to pry it out of you, you _won't_ give in?" she looked directly at him.

"Never."

"And you promise to believe me?" she said a little more softly.

"Why wouldn't I?"

After several more long moments, she opened her mouth again.

"Okay…" Ginny let out a breath and began her story.

* * *

"He's been up there an awfully long time," George said, pacing the floor.

"I wonder if she's talking to him," Ron said.

"Or he already knows…" Fred said mischievously.

"Will you two come off the whole 'love interest' idea?" Hermione interfered.

"Honestly," Ron grumbled a little too harshly.

"Come on, Ron. Tell me you don't see it in their eyes when they look at each other," George said.

"See what in their eyes?" Ron snapped.

"And you know what our little Ginny has thought of Harry before," Fred added.

"She's over that!" Ron persisted.

"Is she, Ron?" George raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't she, Hermione?" Ron looked to his friend for help.

"That's enough. You really need to keep out of her business!" Hermione said sternly. "Why do you feel the need to know every detail about her life anyway?"

"We're her brothers," George smiled.

"It's what we do," Fred mirrored his twin.

"But I think we should go check on them just in case," George concluded.

"George Weasley, if you interfere with them I promise you that I will hex you into next week!" Hermione shouted.

"Woah, Mione, calm down," Ron looked shocked.

" _And_ I will tell your mother," she looked pleased with herself.

"You wouldn't," Fred said fearfully.

"Oh, you both know very well that I would."

"Fine," George put his hands up unenthusiastically. "You win."

Ron looked at Hermione, still in shock and the latter grinned triumphantly.

* * *

"So you mean to tell me that you've been disappearing into the woods to another world?" Harry said skeptically.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me," Ginny's expression darkened.

"Ginny," Harry protested, placing his hand on top of hers for reassurance. "I do believe you. It's just hard to comprehend everything you're telling me."

"...And you don't believe me," she shook off his hand.

"You know I do, Ginny. It's just a lot to handle!" Harry said, frustrated by her stubborn attitude.

"You're telling me," she said with a huff.

"You'll get through this," he boldly put his hand back onto her's, and Ginny couldn't be mad with all the butterflies exploding in her stomach.

"Thanks, Harry," she gave a weak smile.

"Come on, Gin," he bumped her arm, causing a real smile to emerge.

"You know, you're a great friend, Harry."

So this is what it felt like- being her old self. Ginny had really missed that feeling. She was overjoyed that Harry could help her find her true personality again, even in a time of trouble.

"Stop making that face," Harry turned away.

"What face?" Ginny said, confused. Weren't they just having a moment?

"No, it's not a bad thing," Harry shook his head.

"Then why did you tell me to stop?"

"It was cute-" he froze. "Wait-"

Ginny raised her eyebrows and laughed. "Cute, eh, Potter?"

"No, no," Harry frowned. "I didn't mean that-"

"No, of course not," Ginny smiled, not believing a word.

Right at that moment, there was a thump on the door followed by scuffling and shouting.

"George Weasley!"

"That was _Fred!_ "

"Well you would have done it too!"

"Both of you, SHUT IT!"

"Mione, calm down!"

"Calm down?! Whose side are you on, Ron?"

There was another crash on the door and it flew open, revealing a red-faced Hermione hitting the ground.

Fred and George were watching the scene with pure amusement, trying to hold back their laughter.

"You two had better run for it," Hermione said in a sickeningly threatening voice.

Ron rushed to help the poor girl up, trying to hold back a laugh himself.

"Do you think this is funny?" she aimed a blow at Ron.

"No, no, Hermione," he said while vigorously shaking his head.

Hermione's head whipped to Ginny's direction before storming out of the room. "See what I do for you?"

"What was that all about?" Ginny asked once the girl was out of sight. The twins only snickered and wiggled their eyebrows at Harry before turning the corner and going out of sight. Harry looked down, blushing and Ron looked like he finally understood something.

"What?" Ginny asked her brother.

"Nothing," he said, leaving as well.

It was only Harry and Ginny left, and the silence soon became uncomfortable. Harry was looking down and Ginny took a breath.

"So…"

He looked up for a second and then stood up so quickly that he almost lost his balance.

"I should probably go check on Hermione," he said. "Or something…"

"Sure," Ginny said, a little disappointed that their previous moment had ended. He gave her a slight smile before leaving, and Ginny sat on her bed for another moment, trying to comprehend the happenings of the last few minutes.

Ginny heard a wolf-whistle and tilted her head back up to see Fred peeking around the corner, giving her a knowing look.

"Oh, shut it."

* * *

"Ginny!" Molly called. "Dinner's on the table!"

"Coming, Mum," she replied, hopping off her bed. Ever since that episode earlier, she couldn't stop thinking about Harry. Why was is that when she thought of him she felt that she would like him even more if he had Haydn's bold nature? No, she couldn't think like that. It was unfair to Harry. While she knew they were the same person, they were also different characters, playing different roles in each world. She glanced in the mirror and shook her head.

 _Remember. Happy, carefree Ginny._ She put on a smile and immediately felt back to her old self. She even hopped down the stairs, skipping every other one. That was something she hadn't done since she was eleven.

"Someone's a little ray of sunshine, George snickered, keeping his streak of announcing her arrival.

"So what?" Ginny shrugged. "Would you rather I'm angry?"

"Of course not, sis," Fred playfully bumped her arm.

Ginny smiled at the fact that they didn't go on teasing her. Maybe this re-emergence of her old attitude would prove to be better than she originally thought…

"Hey!" Bill's voice boomed in the kitchen. "How's the lovely family doing?"

" _Lovely_ ," Fred scoffed. "Bill, us Weasley men don't like to be referred to as _lovely_."

"Men, now, are you?" he looked amusedly at the twins. "Soon you'll be saying Ginny's a woman."

"Excuse me," Ginny tried to look indignant, but couldn't conceal her smile aimed at her favorite brother.

"But, Gin, you'll always be my little Buttercup," he leaned down and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Hello Harry, Hermione," he cast a friendly smile toward the two sitting across from Ginny.

"Hello, Bill," Hermione responded. "How's Gringotts?"

"Oh, fine… Actually a mental patient from St. Mungo's somehow made her way to Gringotts in pursuit of her imaginary puppy, Elfie."

This caused the room to burst in laughter.

"It took nearly an hour to contact the hospital and get her back!"

"That's gold," Ron laughed.

"And on that note, who's ready to eat?" Molly waved her wand and the trays were uncovered, sending a delicious scent around the room. Dinner was full of small talk, the usual Ron and Hermione bickers, Fred and George jokes, and Ginny's glances toward Harry. A few times, Ginny thought that she caught Harry snapping his head back to his plate, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.

After dinner was through, Ron asked Harry to play wizard's chess.

"Ron, include everyone," Hermione ordered, rather unnecessarily.

"As you wish," he bowed sarcastically. Harry held back a laugh and Hermione huffed.

"Exploding snap?" Ron raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"I'm game," he responded. "Are you playing, Ginny?"

She was positive there were actual butterflies in her stomach, trying to get out. "Of course! I love some good competition."

"You're on!" Harry smiled.

"Woah, no one invites the big brother?" Bill entered the room again.

"Bill, would you like to play with us?" Ginny asked.

"First, let me steal you away for a chat," he said. Ginny nodded and followed him onto the back porch while the others set up the game.

"So, tell me, Buttercup," he leaned against the side of the house. "What's been going on?"

Ginny gave him a rundown on the events that took place since she had last spoken to him, and he listened patiently through the story.

"Gin," Bill said.

"Yeah?"

"How would you like to come stay with me in my flat for a little bit? It would give you some time to get away from things and clear your mind."

Ginny thought about how much fun she was finally beginning to have with her brothers and friends. But she did conclude that they would undoubtedly question her yet again if she were to leave their sight. Not wishing to endure that again, she nodded. Besides, who would she be if she passed up a chance to spend some quality time with her brother?

"Great!" Bill smiled. "I already talked it over with Mum. We'll leave after Dad gets home so you can say goodbye."

"Bill…" Ginny thought. "What about the alternate universe? There are still issues going on there and I really need to go back."

"I can apparate, remember?" Bill laughed. "Anytime you feel you need to go, I can apparate you to the edge of the forest so you can get there without being hounded by the rest of the family."

"Thanks, Bill!" Ginny jumped up to embrace him. "I'd better get packing."

Ginny ran inside and bounded up the stairs, forgetting everything else in that moment.

"Gin," Ron called. "How about the game?"

"Oh," she stopped. "Sorry, Ron. Just play without me. I'm leaving with Bill tonight."

"You are?" he looked slightly dejected and she immediately felt bad. It was nice having their brother-sister time again, just like the old days.

"I promise that when I get back, I'll make it up to you. We'll do loads of things before going back to Hogwarts!"

"Alright," he forced a smile. Ginny ran back down the stairs to hug him.

"I'll miss you," she said, truly meaning it. As much as the two of them disagree, they really do get along and enjoy each other's company. After all, it was only the two of them left at home waiting for their turns to go to Hogwarts while the other Weasley boys were in school.

"Are you leaving for a few days or a few years?" Ron laughed in her ear.

"Way to ruin the moment," she punched him. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Gin," he waved.

A little while later, Ginny was heaving her trunk down the stairs. It really was hard not being able to use magic outside of school yet… She stopped on the landing of the first flight and huffed.

"Here, let me get that," a friendly voice chuckled.

The luggage floated gracefully down the stairs and Ginny followed it down.

"Thanks, Harry."

"Of course," Harry said before frowning. "How long will you be gone?"

"I can't imagine it being more than a week," she responded. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Ready?" Bill entered the scene.

Ginny nodded, glancing once more at Harry.

"You can always write me," she smiled.

"Yeah," he nodded.

As Bill and Ginny made their way to the front yard, their parents stopped to see them off.

"Bill, make sure you watch over her," Arthur told his eldest son solemnly in a voice that he assumed only the two of them could hear.

"Dad, I'll be fine," Ginny rolled her eyes, but hugged him nevertheless.

"Don't worry, Dad. Sometimes you forget how old I am," Bill said.

"Don't remind me!" he chuckled.

Bill glanced at the clock. "Well, we'd best be off."

Ginny grabbed her big brother's arm while he held onto the trunk. Suddenly, they apparated to Bill's flat in Egypt. Little did they know that another pair of eyes peeking from the side of the house watched them disappear with wide eyes.

* * *

 **Please leave a review if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions. Thanks for reading! :)**

 **-Megan**


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